Caitlin Clark is relishing some much-needed rest and relaxation after her first WNBA All-Star game.
The Fever rookie and her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, are vacationing somewhere warm, as evidenced by photos posted on social media.
McCaffery, who works as a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers after playing for Iowa’s men’s basketball team, shared a snap of a bikini-clad Clark throwing up a peace sign while on a boat.
The former Hawkeyes point guard was seen sitting near Will Matthiessen, a right-handed pitcher from Stanford who was a sixth-round draft pick by the Pirates in the 2019 MLB draft. Matthiessen is dating Clark’s Fever teammate, guard Lexie Hull, who also joined the boat outing.
RELATED: Caitlin Clark Drops a Comment in Boyfriend’s One-Year Job Anniversary Post
Clark and Hull were all smiles as they lounged on a large yellow raft in the water, a moment captured and shared by a fan account on Instagram.
Before the All-Star break, Hull had mentioned in a TikTok video that she and some teammates were planning a trip to Mexico following their game against the Dallas Wings on July 17, a game in which Dallas triumphed over Indiana 101-93.
Clark expressed her excitement for the vacation after a hectic weekend in Phoenix for the WNBA All-Star game. “I’m on vacation!” Clark declared in a postgame press conference, where she tallied four points, one rebound, and 10 assists. “Alright, last time for a month, get your questions in,” she added, jokingly emphasizing her need for a break. “I honestly can’t wait to not touch a basketball for a while. I’ve shot too many times in the past year.”
Despite her playful comment, it’s clear that the 22-year-old Iowa native has had little time off from basketball in the past year. She led Iowa to the NCAA Championship game in April, where they were defeated by South Carolina 87-75. Just two weeks later, she was selected by the Fever with the first overall pick in the WNBA draft.
Clark was not chosen for the 12-player roster that will compete at the Summer Olympics in Paris. “I’m loving that she’s going to get a breather and get some rest, just for our push after this Olympic break,” Fever coach Christie Sides said. “I think it’s great for her, she’s just been going so hard for quite some time now, and this is just going to help her so much just to kind of decompress.”
Clark’s vacation, along with Fever center Aliyah Boston and veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell, was delayed due to the WNBA All-Star game.
The Fever trio helped Team WNBA secure a 117-109 victory over Team USA in Phoenix. The U.S. women’s Olympic basketball team rebounded from the All-Star loss to defeat Germany 84-57 on Tuesday.
The Paris Games are set for July 26 to August 11. Clark and the Fever will return from the break to face the Mercury at home on August 16.
As she enjoys her downtime, fans and teammates alike look forward to seeing her back on the court, refreshed and ready for the rest of the season.
