Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s resident three-point sniper and all-around basketball superstar, is quickly building a reputation for something other than draining buckets from deep. Apparently, half-court shots just aren’t her thing — at least not yet.
Despite her insane range and undeniable skills, Clark’s kryptonite appears to be the Indiana Fever’s infamous half-court shot contest. And her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is loving every minute of it. Yes, the same Connor McCaffery who was a Hawkeye himself and now works with the Indiana Pacers. He’s turned into her biggest heckler and, honestly, we’re here for the banter.
Half-Court Woes
The Fever have been running these half-court shot contests after shootarounds throughout the season, and while fans might expect the WNBA’s three-point queen to reign supreme, that crown has gone to someone else. Grace Berger, Clark’s teammate, has been the back-to-back winner, leaving Caitlin in the dust.
The official Indiana Fever Instagram page couldn’t resist rubbing salt in the wound, posting a clip of Berger nailing her shot with the caption, “Back-to-back! @graceberger_ wins the halfcourt shot contest today after shootaround.” Ouch.
Connor’s Roast Game Strong
Enter Connor McCaffery, Caitlin’s loving and ever-sarcastic boyfriend, who has fully embraced his role as her personal half-court shot troll. After seeing yet another loss, McCaffery was at a complete loss for words (well, almost). He tagged Clark on Instagram and wrote, “…@caitlinclark22,” with an ellipsis that screamed “seriously?”
And it gets better. Just last week, McCaffery reminded her once again that she’s not exactly the half-court hero she might want to be. Fever’s Instagram had posted a clip of Kelsey Mitchell, Clark’s partner-in-crime on the backcourt, sinking a half-court shot. Without skipping a beat, McCaffery jumped into the comments section and called out CC for falling behind. “You ever won this @caitlinclark22?” he joked.
Caitlin’s response? “Shut up.” Classic. Clearly, the competitive spirit runs deep in the Clark-McCaffery household.
The Fans Are Loving It
The playful banter between these two has started to draw attention from fans, who are eating it up. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love seeing one of the best WNBA players getting roasted by her own boyfriend for coming up short in a shooting contest? Their back-and-forth is quickly becoming the stuff of relationship goals — at least if you’re into basketball-themed trash talk.
A Bond Forged in Iowa
Clark and McCaffery have been dating since April 2023 and made things official in August. Both former Hawkeyes, they met during Caitlin’s historic NCAA run, and the rest is history. While Connor has since moved on from college basketball to work as a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers, their connection to the sport is stronger than ever.
Interestingly, despite being in Indiana together, McCaffery actually missed Caitlin’s WNBA debut because of his Pacers gig. But if his trolling is anything to go by, he’s more than making up for it by being her number-one “supporter” (and heckler).
Will Caitlin Ever Win?
While Caitlin Clark continues to put up MVP numbers on the court, one can’t help but wonder: will she ever claim victory in the elusive half-court contest? If not, we can count on McCaffery to keep reminding her of it — one Instagram tag at a time.
One thing’s for sure, though — these two are basketball’s newest power couple, and their banter is just as entertaining as Caitlin’s deep-range bombs. So while she may be 0-for-whatever in half-court shots, Caitlin Clark is still winning at life — even if her boyfriend doesn’t let her forget that tiny shortcoming.
Stay tuned for the next round of Fever’s half-court shenanigans, where the stakes have never been higher… for Caitlin’s pride, at least.
