With the draft complete, here’s a look at key dates going into the 2024 WNBA campaign.
Originally appeared on E! Online
Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery are a match made on the basketball court.
After all, not only did the couple play for the University of Iowa, but they've each expanded their passion for the sport into a career.
On April 15, Clark—who holds the NCAA record for overall top scorer in Division I basketball—was named the WNBA's first draft pick, signing a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever.
"This is a dream come true," she said in her first press conference with the team. "I can't think of a better place for myself to start my career, a place that loves basketball, supports women's basketball and an organization that really does things the right way and has a championship pedigree."
Meanwhile, McCaffery—who graduated last year with the second best assist-to-turnover ratio in NCAA history—is now working as a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers with goals to eventually become a coach.
"It's kind of all-hands on deck," he shared in a 2023 interview with the Des Moines Register, "whatever you're asked to do, be ready to do it."
And while he acknowledges that it is an "entry-level job," McCaffery, 25, said he understands the importance of patience and hard work.
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"It's a way in," he explained, "You've got to work hard and work your way up."
But when he's not helping train Pacers, McCaffery is acting as Clark's biggest cheerleader.
"With all that you've already accomplished, there is so much more in store for you and your special self," he wrote to Clark in a January Instagram post celebrating her 22nd birthday. "I admire you in every way and I love you."
