WNBA star Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend has called an end to his time on the Butler Bulldogs sidelines, confirming his decision through an emotional social media post.
Connor McCaffrey took to Instagram on Thursday evening to pen the message to his followers, prompting the Indiana Fever star to offer her support in the comments.
McCaffrey, who was formerly an assistant with the Pacers, wrote: ‘End of an era! Forever grateful to Coach Matta for the opportunity that he gave me. Learned a lot and worked with great people – excited for what’s next!’
The comment section was inundated with supportive messages, with Clark’s response standing out amongst them. She wrote: ‘Fun times [blue heart emoji]’.
McCaffrey joined the Bulldogs back in 2024 as an assistant coach, having previously spent a year with the Pacers, when they reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
In his first year with Butler, McCaffrey helped the team finish with a 14-19 record and was constantly seen shouting instructions on the sidelines throughout the season.
Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend has called an end to his time on the Butler University sidelines
Connor McCaffrey took to Instagram on Thursday evening to pen the message to his followers
The following year, the Bulldogs went 16-16 for the season, finishing seventh in their conference.
Indiana Fever star Clark – when she’s not been making headlines in the WNBA – has often made an appearance in the Butler crowd to cheer on her boyfriend.
The news of McCaffrey’s Butler departure comes just days after Clark’s stunning new WNBA salary was revealed after weeks of tense discussions with the league finally resulted in a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Clark has been the face of the league since being drafted No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in 2024, but her rookie contract paid her a paltry amount in comparison to her worth to the league.
Incredibly, Clark was earning just $85,000 a year for her first two seasons in the WNBA, gathering the majority of her wealth from sponsorship deals and other endeavors away from the basketball court.
All that is changing now, with base salaries skyrocketing not just for the current crop of WNBA stars, but also every new player joining the league – with the 2026 Draft happening in New York later this month.
Clark will earn a new salary of $528k in 2026, a remarkable 521 percent pay increase from her 2025 wage – all thanks to an ‘EPIC’ new clause, both in name and nature.
Clark and McCaffery started dating in 2023 while Clark was playing college basketball at Iowa
Clark is being paid 521 percent more in 2026 than in 2025, in the wake of the new CBA
The ‘exceptional performance on initial contract’ clause allows Clark to max out her possibilities on her four-year rookie deal, which still has two years to run before she can demand a much higher base salary from the Fever – or elsewhere.
The same clause also means that Clark is likely to only have one more season on her rookie deal, before she unlocks a lucrative extension.
Eligible players are those who win MVP or make the All-WNBA Team in their first three seasons, a category which Clark is set to fall into.
It’s fair to say Clark may not have too many concerns about her bank balance, though, with Nike currently paying her $28 million over an eight-year deal.
