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University of Iowa star basketball player Caitlin Clark is poised to break an NCAA scoring record. The 22-year-old is expected to beat Kelsey Plum’s record of 3,527 career points during her Thursday night game against the Michigan Wolverines—and she just needs seven points to make it happen.

“I’m not anxious about it really at all. I’m just very excited. It’s going to be a special night,” Caitlin said at the Hawkeyes’ weekly news conference, per CNN. “I understand the magnitude of this. I think it’s just kind of come along with how my four years have gone. It’s crazy looking back at how fast everything’s gone. I’m just really thankful and grateful.”

With all that Caitlin has achieved, it’s easy to forget that she’s a college student with a personal life off the court. She’s currently dating former University of Iowa athlete Connor McCaffrey, but who is Connor and what’s he doing now? Here’s everything you need to know about Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend:

Connor comes from a family of basketball stars.

The basketball doesn’t fall too far from the hoop! Connor is the son of Fran McCaffery, currently the men’s basketball head coach at the University of Iowa. He actually played six seasons for his father, according to ESPN. His mom, Margaret, was also a star basketball player for the University of Notre Dame, according to The New York Times. Connor’s brother Patrick McCaffery is a star player for Iowa, too.

He’s a Hawkeye, like Caitlin.

Connor graduated from the University of Iowa last year. While he was there, he played basketball and baseball.

Caitlin and Connor hard-launched their relationship in 2023.

Caitlin and Connor became Instagram official in August 2023 when Caitlin shared a series of snaps of the two of them cuddling on a boat.

He currently works for the NBA.

Connor joined the staff of the Indiana Pacers last year as a team assistant, according to the Des Moines Register. He helps with scouting, assists with film study, and attends to other coaching needs.

“It’s a way in. It’s an entry-level job,” he told the paper. “You’ve got to work hard and work your way up. That’s obviously what I want to do.”

Connor also said that he’s “really excited” about his role. “I want to get away and try to learn from someone else, somewhere else,” he told the publication. “I’ve always been under my dad’s shadow and tutelage. Now, learning from someone like coach [Rick] Carlisle… and the assistants they have there, they’re all good basketball minds… I’m just going to try to take everything in.”

Connor is supportive of his girlfriend’s basketball career.

In an Instagram post celebrating Caitlin’s 22nd birthday, Connor said that this will be her “best year yet.” He added in the caption, “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 🖤.” His brother, Patrick, hilariously wrote in the comments, “The glazing here is crazy.”

Hot news: Geno Auriemma claims best UConn teams were ‘ahead of our time’ in response to new NCAA landscape UConn women’s basketball remains an iconic program, and head coach Geno Auriemma believes some of his former squads would have been far more popular had they competed in the current era.

UConn women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma claimed this week that his most dominant teams were ahead of their time.

He also suggested that former players such as Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore would have reached the level of fame of active NCAA stars like Caitlin Clark if they were born later.

Still, Auriemma gave props to the current student-athletes who have helped raise the profile of women’s basketball beyond anything seen before. The coach, who earned his 1,200th career victory this year, said the brighter spotlight was long overdue.

“That’s how you build a national brand like we’ve have for so long, and we were willing to go to any part of the country to play anybody anywhere to spread that brand,” Auriemma said via CT Insider.

“So, yeah, we were a little bit ahead of our time. And people now are starting to experience what we experienced for all those years. And they’re also starting to appreciate more how difficult it is to be in that situation.”

Auriemma led back-to-back undefeated seasons on two occasions and went unbeaten six times overall, helping the Huskies become a nationally revered powerhouse. UConn went 78-0 between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 campaigns.

The school accounts for 66 percent of all the undefeated seasons in NCAA women’s basketball history, a remarkable accomplishment underlining its historic dominance.

However, rival programs have seemingly caught up with UConn on the court and in the public eye.

By some measures, including win percentage, this is the weakest team Auriemma has coached in at least 20 years relative to other national title contenders.

Some of the squad’s struggles are the result of poor injury luck, yet even at full strength, this season’s Huskies likely wouldn’t have drawn the record-breaking attention of Caitlin Clark and Iowa or Angel Reese and LSU.

That’s not to say UConn isn’t popular – with the help of star guard Paige Bueckers, the team retains national relevance and could rebound in a big way next season. But even Auriemma has acknowledged throughout 2023-24 that the playing field has become more difficult for him than before.

“It’s obviously been a long time coming,” he added on the rise of women’s basketball beyond being a niche source of entertainment. “When we traveled back before all this other stuff, the crowds that Maya [Moore] generated, that [Breanna Stewart] generated – those guys didn’t have necessarily as much of a benefit as these kids do with social media.

“And now it’s just been magnified, and it’s the right kind of kids with the right kind of personalities, and everything that goes into being popular and being impactful to a bunch of kids. And the fact that the coverage is just so much more widespread than it’s ever been, they’re all taking advantage of it. God bless them.”

Hot news: Caitlin Clark’s potential WNBA contract might come as a surprise, and not a positive one Caitlin Clark, who holds the record as the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, has announced that she will be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Clark has decided to forgo a fifth year at the college level, which has led to speculation about a potential pay cut compared to what she currently earns through NIL deals.

Clark, the point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes, was awarded an additional year after the COVID-19 pandemic impacted her freshman year and has built a roster of impressive endorsements.

Clark’s estimated NIL valuation is $3.5 million, ranking fourth behind Bronny James, Shedeur Sanders, and Livvy Dunne, according to On3 NIL.

Fans were shocked to learn that Caitlin Clark, one of the best college basketball players of all time, would potentially earn less than $80,000 in a WNBA rookie contract as the top pick. Despite this, fans are quick to point out that her jersey sales alone will most likely bring in millions for the professional team she joins.

Clark has stated that her major sponsors will not drop her when she turns pro, and it is likely that her deals will continue to grow as she advances to the next level, squashing the storyline that she will lose money going to the WNBA.

Who is Caitlin Clark?

Hawkeye’s college basketball star Caitlin Clark has set numerous records during her time in Iowa, including becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s basketball by surpassing Pete Maravich’s record at LSU.

Clark has also surpassed AIAW all-time leader scorer, Lynette Woodard and NCAA’s women’s all-time leading scorer Kelsey Plum.

Clark is the first Iowa women’s basketball player to be named First Team All-Big Ten in four years, was named the consensus Big Ten Player of the Year by coaches and media.

Clark’s possible WNBA salary is shocking

In general, rookie contracts in the WNBA typically last for three years, with a team option for a fourth year.

The salary for rookies is determined by their draft position, and according to Spotrac salary ranges from $64,154 to $76,535 for the first year.

The salary increases by a little over $1,000 each year thereafter.

Caitlin Clark is expected to be the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. In her first year, she would earn a base salary of approximately $76,000, with the possibility of earning additional incentives.

If she is named the WNBA Rookie of the Year, she would receive a bonus of $5,150. Additionally, if Clark is selected to participate in the All-Star game, she would earn an extra $2,575.

How much do WNBA players make?

According to Statista, there is a significant pay gap between NBA and WNBA players, with the highest paid player in the 2023 WNBA season, Erica Wheeler of the Indiana Fever, earning $242,000.

Arike Ogunbowale of the Dallas Wings comes in second with earnings of $234,000 followed by Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury also earning $234,000.

On average, NBA players make more than 10 million dollars every year compared to WNBA players who earn $116,000 a year.

Caitlin Clark’s NIL Deals

Caitlin Clark has signed a long list of deals with companies to use her name, image, and likeness. Clark has signed with the biggest names in sports appeal, electronics and even insurance. Here is the list of companies that have added the college basketball star to their roster.

Nike

Gatorade

Bose

State Farm

Buick

Hy-Vee

H&R Block

Topps

Shoot-A-Way

Goldman Sachs

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