Caitlin Clark’s support amid boyfriend struggles doesn’t go unnoticed
Caitlin Clark is a basketball superstar in Iowa but took a break from her own career to support her boyfriend’s younger brother in his last college basketball game
Caitlin Clark left Iowa’s game with Wisconsin to support her boyfriend’s Butler Bulldogs (Image: Getty)
Caitlin Clark snuck out of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ showdown with the Wisconsin Badgers to cheer on her boyfriend’s younger brother in his final college basketball match for the Butler Bulldogs.
The 23-year-old hoop sensation for Indiana Fever – a legend in Iowa circles – is keeping herself busy during the off-season and set aside March 5 to catch two hoops games one after the other. But her schedule threw her a curveball when the Hawkeyes’ battle against the Badgers and the Bulldogs’ dust-up with the Xavier Musketeers were slated just an hour apart.
Clark kicked off her stint in Iowa, where she’d chalked up an epic NCAA track record, shattering records galore and taking the Hawkeyes to a couple of national championship games before she hot-footed it to the WNBA as the first pick in April 2024.
The star guard watched Iowa steamroll to an 81-54 victory before darting off to root for her beau, Connor McCaffery, who’s calling the shots as assistant coach for Butler, and his bro, Patrick, sporting No. 22 for the side.
Usually a talisman for good fortune, Clark witnessed a twist in fate as Butler got trounced 91-78, leaving them languishing in a three-match slump. Patrick, a mainstay Hawkeye with Connor and Caitlin by his side in days past, marked his college close-out with 11 points to his name for the Bulldogs.
This game also puts a pause on the working ties between the McCaffery siblings, at least for now, with Patrick confirming the hang-up of his kit. Reminiscing about their bond, Patrick McCaffery quipped: “He’s been my big brother my whole life. He would boss me around, tell me what to do, yell at me.
“I always try and play the right way. Don’t do too much. If you’re open, shoot it. If you’re not, pass it. We want to win every game I’ve ever played in my life. The objective was to win. Whatever it was – a board game, a card game, the objective is to win.”
“There’s times in practice where you would never guess those two are brothers,” Butler head coach Matta said. “As hard as Connor is on Patrick, I think that’s good for us. It’s good for our program together.”
However, younger brother Jack McCaffrey is next up for Clark’s boyfriend to coach. The 6-foot-8 power forward has committed to Butler in the class of 2025 and will work with his older brother, Connor.
Jack is slated as a four-star recruit. “It was the coaching staff for sure,” he told ZAGSBLOG. “Coach [Maurice] Joesph and coach [Thad] Matta did a great job recruiting me and I thought it was the best overall fit for the way that I want to play. I think I’m a very versatile forward who can play inside and out and shoot the ball very well.”
An hour separated both games that Clark wanted to attend (Image: Getty)
Patrick wasn’t given any special treatment either. Head coach Thad Motta revealed that Connor could be tough on his younger brother to the point where you wouldn’t believe they are related.
