In a delightful mix of basketball royalty, budding romance, and a little bit of friendly roasting, Monday night saw Caitlin Clark, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jade Jones roll up to Butler’s game against Western Michigan to cheer on the Bulldogs — or more specifically, Butler’s assistant coach, Connor McCaffery. Yes, the same Connor McCaffery who happens to be Clark’s boyfriend. Talk about mixing business and pleasure!
Butler’s sidelines were buzzing as Clark, fresh off her WNBA offseason, sat courtside offering some unofficial “coach’s tips” to McCaffery from the stands. After all, if your boyfriend’s calling the shots on the court, you may as well help him out, right?
Meanwhile, Tyrese Haliburton, taking a well-earned break from his Indiana Pacers duties, brought his girlfriend, Jade Jones, to complete this impromptu basketball power couple hangout. With no Pacers game scheduled, Haliburton looked relaxed and ready to play the role of a supportive friend. Oh, and his Pacers teammate, Myles Turner, even popped in to make it a full-blown basketball reunion.
Now, if you think their courtside presence didn’t have an impact, think again. Butler, fired up with all this star power in the building, promptly thrashed the Western Michigan Broncos, 85-65, marking their second win of the season. Coincidence? We think not. We’re calling it now: Caitlin Clark is Butler’s new lucky charm.
Patrick McCaffery, Connor’s brother, must’ve felt the love too, contributing 15 points and six rebounds in 35 minutes. Looks like the McCaffery family was scoring both on and off the court.
If you didn’t know, Connor McCaffery has quite the basketball pedigree. He’s the son of Fran McCaffery, the legendary Iowa Hawkeyes coach, and his mom, Margaret, was once a baller herself at Notre Dame. So, yeah, hoops definitely run in the family. And if Connor’s pedigree wasn’t impressive enough, his latest move from Pacers Summer League staff to replacing Greg Oden (yep, that Greg Oden) on Butler’s coaching squad is a career power play. Big shoes to fill, but hey, Caitlin seems confident he’s got this.
Speaking of confidence, Caitlin’s offseason has been all about catching basketball action, especially when Haliburton’s Pacers are in town. Just the other night, she was spotted at the Pacers’ win over the Knicks, where Haliburton decided to put on a show with a monstrous 35 points and 14 assists. Coincidence again? Doubt it. Clark might just be Haliburton’s personal performance booster. Don’t tell the Pacers.
The two basketball stars seem to have formed a bit of a mutual admiration society since Caitlin’s WNBA days began, with Haliburton frequently attending her games during her rookie season. Who knew basketball bromances could be this wholesome?
And if you thought the night was over, think again. Clark made sure to show up for Haliburton’s “Come To Our House” charity dinner at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where she swapped her basketball for an apron, serving food alongside Pacers coach Rick Carlisle. Because what’s better than a little giving back? Maybe some more wins for Butler. Or just more appearances by Caitlin courtside — seems like a winning formula so far.
One thing’s for sure: when these basketball stars get together, whether it’s on the court or in the stands, it’s always a spectacle.
