There’s more to Caitlin Clark than just being the face of women’s collegiate basketball or Iowa basketball. She is the public face of collegiate hoops in general.
This season, Clark broke the all-time NCAA Division I scoring record. She is undoubtedly the most well-known figure in Iowa basketball.
Nevertheless, “McCaffery” is a household name in Iowa City on its own. It’s the surname of Fran McCaffery, the second-most successful coach in the history of the men’s basketball program, and his son, former outstanding guard Connor McCaffery.
Together, Clark and Connor McCaffery make up a formidable basketball duo from Iowa. Here’s everything you need to know about Clark, Connor McCaffery, the former standout player for the Hawkeyes, their romantic history, and his affiliation with the Indiana Fever.
In his first season with the Hawkeyes in 2017–18, McCaffery was severely limited. He redshirted the season after missing eight games because of mononucleosis, nine games because of a sprained ankle, and nineteen games because of a tonsillectomy. After recovering, he played in 34 games as a redshirt freshman for his father’s club, averaging 18.6 minutes per game with 4.4 points and 3.0 assists.
He started all 31 games in which he played as a redshirt sophomore in 2019–20, averaging 6.2 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 34.4 percent from the floor.
Had COVID not occurred, the 2020 NCAA Tournament would have likely been his and the Hawkeyes’ second trip to the tournament in as many years. McCaffery received recognition as the team’s Top Playmaker Award winner for the season.
The next season, he started all 31 games and shared the Top Playmaker Award. He shot 32.4 percent from the floor and averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds.
During his redshirt senior year in 2021–22, he played largely off the bench, but despite starting just five of 34 games overall, he averaged 2.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, good enough for a share of the Top Playmaker Award.
In 2022–23, his additional COVID year, McCaffery started 22 of 32 games and enjoyed his best year to date. This marked his comeback to a starting role.
In addition to averaging 3.7 assists per game, he set career highs in shooting percentage (38.4%), points per game (6.5), steals per game (1.3), and rebounds per game (4.1). He was selected as an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country (3.9).
With the exception of the COVID campaign, the Hawkeyes advanced to the NCAA Tournament each full season he participated in.
Since then, McCaffery has continued his father’s legacy. He accepted a position as a team assistant on the coaching staff of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers in May 2023 with the goal of becoming a coach.
“I’ll lead the scout team, play dummy defense, assist coaches with film stuff, assist with video projects if necessary, and assist with scouting reports if necessary,” McCaffery told the Des Moines Register. It’s kind of like all hands on deck, so be prepared to do whatever is requested of you.
It provides access. This position is entry-level. You have to put in a lot of effort and advance. Obviously, that’s what I want to accomplish.
Developer Herb Simon is an owner of both the Pacers and the Indiana Fever of the Women’s Basketball Association. Moreover, Clark is almost a lock to join McCaffery in Indianapolis if she is selected first overall by the Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
