Caitlin Clark is no stranger to historic moments and unwavering support, but on March 5, she proved once again that basketball isn’t just about the game-it’s about the people who make the journey worthwhile. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year spent the day bouncing between two teams close to her heart – the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Butler Bulldogs – all in her home city of Indianapolis.
With her longtime boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, now an assistant coach for Butler, and his younger brother, Patrick McCaffery, finishing his collegiate career, Clark had plenty of reasons to be courtside for both teams.
Clark first appeared at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, her Indiana Fever home court, to watch Iowa take on Wisconsin in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
The anticipation of her presence filled the arena, and the Jan Jensen-led squad didn’t disappoint, cruising to an 81-54 victory to set up a second-round clash with Michigan State.
But as the game went on, cameras suddenly lost track of Clark. It wasn’t long before fans discovered that had left the Hawkeyes’ game early to make her way to Hinkle Fieldhouse, home of Butler basketball.
Why Butler?
Though Clark has been called a good luck charm for the Bulldogs, her reason for attending the game went far beyond superstition.
It was Senior Night for Patrick McCaffery, Connor’s younger brother, who was playing his final college game after transferring to Butler for his last year of eligibility.
Patrick’s journey to this moment had been anything but easy. At just 14 years old, he underwent surgery for a malignant thyroid tumor, which sidelined him for most of his freshman season at Iowa. Overcoming that challenge and continuing his basketball career made this Senior Night all the more meaningful.
Despite a strong effort-11 points from Patrick, 20 from Jahmyl Telfort, and 19 from Finley Bizjack-Butler couldn’t snap their losing streak, falling 91-78 to Xavier.
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