Caitlin Clark’s BF Connor McCaffery drops 4-word reaction for brother Patrick’s journey through mental health and college basketball
Caitlin Clark's boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, showed immense support for his younger brother Patrick on Tuesday. Fox Sports 1 unspooled a special feature on Patrick McCaffery, detailing his struggles with anxiety and the resurrection of his college basketball career through his immense efforts during the journey.
Butler's men's basketball team, which McCaffery represents, shared a clip from the feature on its Instagram account. Soon after sharing the post, his elder brother Connor reshared it on his Instagram story, while summing up his feelings for Patrick's tough journey in four simple words.
"Proud of this guy @patrickmccaffery23," Connor wrote.
Fox Sports' feature of Patrick McCaffery began with him explaining why he took an indefinite leave midway through Iowa's 2022-23 season, revealing the struggles he had with anxiety.
"My junior year playing at Iowa, I was having a hard time eating and sleeping," McCaffery said. "Just simple, basic human stuff, I was struggling with. I didn't feel right, and I was very anxious and sad. Wasn't really healthy for me to continue to go out there. So, I made the decision to step back and try to right the ship there and better myself."
Connor McCaffery explains his brother Patrick's personality in Fox Sports feature
Connor McCaffery also made an appearance in Fox Sports' feature for his brother Patrick, where he explained his personality and how he felt his brother was struggling during his junior year while playing for their father, Fran McCaffery, at Iowa.
"Patrick and I have always been tight," Connor said. "We're close in age. When you talk about Patrick, he's always kind of in a joking, light-hearted, great mood. And I think during that year, you saw that kind of go away."
Patrick McCaffery credited Connor for suggesting he take an indefinite leave from the game, which ended when he returned on Jan. 29, 2023, for the Hawkeyes' game against Rutgers. He came off the bench to knock down three 3-pointers and help the Hawkeyes score a 93-82 win at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena that afternoon.
Ahead of his final season of eligibility, Patrick McCaffery decided to join his brother Connor at Butler, where he serves as an assistant coach. While the 6-foot-9 forward has been solid, averaging 13.2 points and 4.9 rebounds, the Bulldogs are yet to score a win in conference play this season.