Connor McCaffery played basketball at the University of Iowa and graduated in 2023.
A talented athlete in his own right, McCaffery finished his collegiate basketball career with the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA history, Hawkeye Sports reported. The five-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree played in 166 games — the second-most appearances in Iowa program history — and won 111, all under the guidance of head coach Fran McCaffery, Connor’s father.
After graduating in 2023, McCaffery, now 26, started working for the Indiana Pacers as a team assistant with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in coaching.
He told the Des Moines Register in May 2023, “I’ll play dummy defense, run the scout team, help coaches on film stuff, help on video projects if they need, scouting reports if they need.”
“It’s a way in. It’s an entry-level job. You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do,” McCaffery added.
Clark and McCaffery started dating in April 2023 and made their relationship Instagram official in August 2023.
Clark gave fans a small look into the couple’s relationship on Instagram, sharing photos of the two looking cozy on a boat with the caption, “Best end to summer [black heart emoji].”
In January 2024, McCaffery posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to Clark on Instagram.
“Happy Birthday 22,” he wrote, referencing her jersey number, which is a nod to her birth date: January 22. This year, she turned 22.
He continued, “Wish I was there to celebrate with you – you deserve the best day [red heart emoji] Golden Bday / T Swift year will be the best yet. With all that you’ve already accomplished, there is so much more in store for you and your special self. I admire you in every way and I love you.”
He shared the message alongside multiple photos of the couple throughout their relationship.
The couple, who were long-distance at the time, shared a funny exchange in the comments, with Clark questioning McCaffery’s status as a true Taylor Swift fan, writing, “acting like u a T swift fan tho is crazy, but I will let this slide hehe.”
“I am for you,” McCaffery replied with several laughing emojis and prayer hands.
In February 2024, McCaffery was in the audience when Clark broke the NCAA women’s scoring record.
Clark broke the NCAA women’s scoring record in the February 15, 2024, game against Michigan, which Iowa won 106-89.
She finished the game with a career total of 3,569 points, surpassing Kelsey Plum’s previous record of 3,527 points. The following month, she would break the all-time NCAA scoring record.
In addition to attending the game on February 15, McCaffery shared his support online, writing in an Instagram Story, “So proud” and “Love you 22” with a video of Clark’s record-breaking 3-pointer that allowed her to reach the milestone, People reported.
McCaffery continued to support Clark throughout her final year at Iowa.
After Iowa’s loss in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship in April, McCaffery shared a photo of Clark leaving the court in an Instagram Story, calling her “My GOAT.”
Clark finished her career at Iowa with 3,951 points and a slew of athletic accolades, including Big Ten Player of the Year, Most Outstanding Player in the Big Ten Tournament, and the NCAA record for most 3-pointers in a single season, ESPN reported.
In April 2024, the couple celebrated one year since they started dating.
Clark posted a black-and-white image of the couple seemingly taken after the WNBA Draft, with the caption, “one year of the best mems w my fav person.”
“you make everyday better and I can’t wait for many more adventures together… I love you,” she added.
McCaffery posted his own anniversary tribute, too, sharing another black-and-white photo of the couple laughing.
“One year w the best [heart hands emoji] doing life w u has been easy, and you never cease to amaze me.. can’t wait to watch u live out ur dreams in person,” he wrote.
As part of the tribute, he also posted a slow-motion video of Clark rolling her eyes during a game, prompting Clark to reply, “Nice video,” and McCaffery responding, “best ever.”
In an April interview, Clark credited McCaffery with helping her make the move to Indianapolis.
“It’s great, obviously it makes the transition a little bit easier,” Clark told IndyStar in April about having a support system already waiting for her in Indianapolis.
“You’ve got people that know the city, and obviously Connor being there is tremendous. I couldn’t imagine a better place to start my professional career,” she added.
McCaffery’s brother, Patrick McCaffery, will also be in the area, having recently announced his transfer to Butler University for basketball.
Clark and Connor McCaffery commented on Patrick’s post on Instagram, writing, “Indy takeover” and “I’ll let u in on my city,” respectively, showing how the two families are familiar with each other.
On April 26, Clark supported McCaffery and the Indiana Pacers at their playoff game.
Just over a week after appearing at her introductory Indiana Fever press conference, Clark was back in Indianapolis to support McCaffery and the Pacers in the team’s third playoff game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Before the game, Clark helped excite the crowd by “pumping the accelerator of a replica IndyCar,” AP News reported. During the second quarter, she and her Fever teammates threw T-shirts into the stands to a roar of applause from home fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
In May, Clark joked that she was “flying solo” for her WNBA debut after McCaffery couldn’t attend.
In an awkward exchange before the Fever’s first preseason game against the Dallas Wings on May 3, a reporter asked Clark if her “bae” would be in the stands.
After a moment of confusion, Clark said, “No, he’s working,” prompting laughs from other reporters. (The Indiana Pacers advanced to the conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs after defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 120-98 on May 2.)
“I’m flying solo. I better get used to it, man,” she added.
Clark finished the game with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, though the Fever lost 79-76.
Although McCaffery couldn’t be there in person, he commented, “Big fan!” on Clark’s Instagram post featuring photos from the night.
On July 13, Clark wished McCaffery a happy birthday on Instagram.
In honor of McCaffery’s 26th birthday, Clark shared four black-and-white images of the couple taken throughout their relationship with the caption, “Happy Birthday Con! Celebrating you is easy 🙂 thankful to have someone as selfless and as loving as you in my life [black heart emoji].”
She added, “May this be the year you finally find a way to outshoot me 😉 Love you always.”
McCaffery expressed his thanks in the comments, and added, “And I’ll keep letting you win those shooting contests!!!!!”
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