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Connor McCaffery, the boyfriend of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, announced the death of his grandmother, Marit Smaby-Nowlin in a post shared on his Instagram account Saturday (August 16).
"I’ve been trying to think of what to say and I can’t. It’s impossible to put into words how much you meant to our entire family. I refuse to say goodbye, so until we meet again ❤️❤️❤️🕊️🕊️🕊️," McCaffery wrote.
Clark commented six pink hearts and four praying hands emojis under the post. McCaffery and Clark went public with their relationship in April 2023, when attended the University of Iowa. McCaffery played under his father, former Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery, and has worked as the assistant coach for the men's basketball team at Butler University since September 2024, five months after Clark was drafted by the Fever.
“Following a high-level playing career, Connor has had the opportunity to both contribute and learn alongside one of the best staffs in the NBA,” said Butler head coach Thad Matta about McCaffery via ButlerSports.com. “Those experiences will be very valuable to our staff. He obviously comes from a basketball family that I know very well and I’m excited for the impact he is going to have on our program both quickly and in the long run."
McCaffery had previously worked as the Basketball Development Coordinator for the Indiana Pacers during the 2023-24 NBA season. The 27-year-old averaged 4.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists during his six seasons at Iowa.
Clark is one of women's basketball's brightest stars, having brought a spike in viewership to the sport during her collegiate career at Iowa and WNBA career. The Iowa native is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and was the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, but has been limited by injuries during her second professional season.
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