Fans react to Caitlin Clark playing pickleball with her boyfriend Connor McCaffery. [Image credit: Caitlin Clark/IG]

After an impressive 83-78 come-from-behind win against the New York Liberty on Saturday, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever get three days off. Clark spent part of her Sunday playing pickleball with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, in a doubles game against her teammate Lexie Hull and Hull’s playing partner.

The players clearly held back, as there were no emphatic racket swings or slams. They were just content to exchange shots, waiting for somebody to make a mistake. In one clip, Clark and McCaffery let a rather lazy backhand land between them.

The lazy play resulted in McCaffery getting flak from fans online.

“Can Connor play pickleball because he can’t play basketball,” a fan commented.

“Bf is lame there. Common, man.” Another fan chimed in.

“Connor isn’t taking this seriously, Caitlin needs someone out there with more competitive 🔥. Caitlin and Temi when her hand is better would be awesome!” A fan opined.

A few fans wondered about the rules of pickleball.

“Can we take bets on this? Or is this for charity? Get the guys against the girls. I want to see how that goes. Why are they bring so gentle? Cant they slam the ball?” A fan commented.

“Connor could have slammed that ball …. he chose not to ….. is there some pickleball rule against slamming the ball???” One fan wondered.

One fan did not budge in her support for Clark and McCaffery:

“Caitlin and Connor CCC”

Like Caitlin Clark, Connor McCaffery also went to Iowa, where he played basketball for six years. He wasn’t a superstar but carved a role for the Hawkeyes as a starter and as part of the bench mob. McCaffery is now part of the Indiana Pacers coaching staff under Rick Carlisle.

Caitlin Clark is a big supporter of her boyfriend Connor McCaffery

While Caitlin Clark is a rising star in the WNBA, Connor McCaffery works behind the scenes for the Indiana Pacers. Clark is a big-time supporter of her boyfriend’s work, even if it goes unnoticed by many.

For instance, in Game 3 of the NBA playoffs between the Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks, Clark came out to show support for McCaffery. She even helped throw t-shirts to an adoring crowd who couldn’t get enough of her. The assistant coach watched from the sidelines as his girlfriend continued to attract fans, even without playing basketball.

After the Indiana Pacers won 121-118 behind Tyrese Haliburton’s heroics, Caitlin Clark went on IG to share a story with a simple message, “Bang.” Though the story was in appreciation of Haliburton’s clutch 3-point play, everyone knew she was there for Connor McCaffery.

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Edited by Michael Macasero