Who Is Caitlin Clark's Boyfriend, Connor McCaffery?

Caitlin Clark was already well-known as one of the best players in women's basketball, and her notoriety only rose after she was taunted by Louisiana State University's Angel Reese during the NCAA championship game in April 2023. The exchange between Clark and Reese in the closing moments of that game went viral, but the Iowa Hawkeyes star did not see a lot of the posts. "I haven't been on social media a ton since we lost," she told ESPN in April 2023. Following that season, Clark parlayed her visibility into a lucrative NIL deal with Gatorade, and she also returned to posting online regularly where she went public with her relationship with Connor McCaffery.

On August 21, 2023, Clark hard-launched her boyfriend in an three-photo Instagram post. "Best end to summer," she wrote in the caption alongside photos of her cozying up with McCaffery on a boat. "U CUTE," he wrote in the replies. Earlier in the month, Clark dropped hints about the romance when McCaffery uploaded a carousel of snaps from his trip to Paris to Instagram on August 10, 2023. "Paris king," Clark wrote in the replies.

A month after that post, McCaffery uploaded an adorable snap with Clark to Instagram. It was a candid photo of the pair in dress clothes. "One of one," he wrote in the caption. The couple appeared to be a good fit as both were part of the Hawkeyes basketball program. McCaffery looked to continue a career in basketball after leaving college. 

Connor McCaffery had roots with the Iowa Hawkeyes long before he started dating Caitlin Clark. His father, Fran McCaffery, is the men's basketball team head coach, and Connor joined the program in 2017. Originally when he went to Iowa, Connor was a two-sport athlete playing both baseball and basketball. "I was kind of living in chaos," he recalled in an interview with Inside the Hawkeyes in March 2023. Health issues prevented him from fully competing in his first year at Iowa and Connor was red-shirted as a freshman. His baseball career hit major roadblocks but his basketball career continued.

Eventually, Connor carved out a name for himself as a point guard for the Hawkeyes where playing for his dad brought extra scrutiny. "I used to wonder why I had to prove myself more than others. I think that bothered me," he told Inside the Hawkeyes. As Connor's playing career was coming to a close, he started eyeing a career in coaching — away from his dad. "I'm excited for him to go on that journey and continue to learn," Fran said about Connor branching out.

In May 2023, Connor landed an "entry-level" job with the Indiana Pacers coaching staff working for their G-League team. "I want to get away and try to learn from someone else, somewhere else. I've always been under my dad's shadow and tutelage," he told Hawk Central at the time. Even though he left Iowa, Connor continued to follow Clark's career closely. 

Not only has Connor McCaffery posted sweet photos of him and girlfriend Caitlin Clark to social media, but he has highlighted her accomplishments as an Iowa Hawkeye. His Twitter feed is filled with updates from the NBA team he works for, the Indiana Pacers, plus he often retweets milestones Clark has passed on the court. In November 2023, the former Iowa Hawkeyes guard posted a photo of Clark playing to his Instagram Stories and gave her the nickname "My shoota!!!!!" (via The Spun). A few weeks later, McCaffery gushed over his girlfriend on Instagram with a touching Thanksgiving post. "Thankful for u," he wrote in his Instagram Stories alongside a heart emoji and a photo of the couple dressed up nicely (via Sportskeeda).

Clark made history in December 2023 as she became one of only 15 women to cross the 3,000 points barrier in NCAA history. "Stack em up" McCaffery wrote on his Instagram Stories while celebrating his girlfriend's accomplishment (via The Spun). McCaffery has not limited his posts about Clark to her milestones. After she hit a buzzer-beating game winner against Michigan State in January, McCaffery uploaded a photo of the shot to his Instagram Stories.

Once again, Clark's on-court exploits were featured in McCaffery's Instagram Stories on January 15. He posted a photo of his girlfriend playing with the caption "Like that [fingers crossed emoji]." Clark appreciated the love from her boyfriend and reposted the post to her own Instagram Stories.

Following Caitlin Clark's record-setting win to secure a spot in the Final Four, Connor McCaffery once again took to social media to heap praise on his girlfriend. Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Louisiana State University Tigers in a rematch with rival Angel Reese on April 1 in a contest that was the most-watched women's basketball game of all-time. The point guard put up a blistering statline of 41 points, 12 assists, and seven rebounds. McCaffery reposted an ESPN graphic of his girlfriend's output to his Instagram Stories. "Out of words for this 1 @caitlinclark22," he wrote with the pic (via the New York Post).

The former Hawkeyes guard also took to X, formerly Twitter, to gush over Clark's dominating performance. "She was special tonight," McCaffery tweeted on April 1. He also retweeted Clark's own tweet. "CLEVELAND!!!!!!!!!! FINAL FOUR!!!!! HAWK FANS LETS GOOOOOO," she wrote with a series of emojis.

McCaffery's praise did not only come when Clark had a monumental night on the court. Earlier in the year, he made a heartfelt Instagram post to celebrate his girlfriend's birthday. "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," McCaffery wrote in January alongside a carousel of pics that included a snap of Clark jumping on his back. Clark popped up in the comments and teased her boyfriend about being a faux Taylor Swift fan.