Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend shared his support for the athlete after the Iowa Hawkeyes’ women’s basketball team lost the 2024 NCAA national championship game in Cleveland on Sunday.

Taking to his Instagram Story, Connor McCaffery posted a photo of the hoop star walking off the court with her head held high following her team’s 87-75 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

“My GOAT,” he wrote above the sporty snap, using the acronym that stands for “Greatest Of All Time.”

McCaffery – who is the son of Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery and Margaret McCaffery – tagged the headline-making point guard and included several red hearts and heart-hand emojis along with his post.

Clark, 22, re-posted her boyfriend’s sweet message to her Instagram after coming up short on Sunday.

“It’s really hard to win these things. I think I probably know that better than most people by now,” Clark said post-game. “To be so close twice, it definitely hurts. But at the same time, we were right there. We battled. We took down some really great teams to get back to this point and [did] something that’s really hard to do.”

It’s unclear when Clark and Connor first started dating, but they went public with their relationship via Instagram in August 2023.

At the time, Clark shared a photo on social media that showed the two college athletes on a boat with the caption, “Best end to summer.”

Along with her loving boyfriend, Clark has captured the hearts of the entire nation during March Madness 2024.

The Des Moines, Iowa, native is the NCAA’s Division-I all-time leading scorer (in both men’s and women’s basketball) and is projected to be the No.1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Clark finished the season with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Hawkeyes’ face-off against the Gamecocks, who remained undefeated this season with a perfect record of 38-0.

“We took down some really great teams to get back to this point and [did] something that’s really hard to do,” Clark said after her team’s heartbreaking loss. Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK

She is expected to be drafted into the WNBA as the No. 1 pick. caitlinclark22/Instagram

Last week, Clark helped her team set another record when Iowa’s Final Four matchup game against UConn became the most-watched basketball game in ESPN history with 12.3 million viewers. The game was also the highest-viewed NCAA Women’s basketball game and the most-watched college event ever.

Even Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley applauded Clark while accepting her team’s trophy Sunday.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley, 53, said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport. You are one of the GOATs of our games and we appreciate you.”

Dawn Staley and Lisa Bluder want to capitalize on the growing popularity of women’s basketball

In the wake of NCAA Tournament success, coaches Dawn Staley of South Carolina, winner of the 2024 championship game, and Lisa Bluder of Iowa are advocating for increased financial backing for women’s basketball programs, citing the sport’s growth and revenue-generating potential.

As the NCAA women’s tournament unfolded with record viewership and fan engagement, a long-standing issue has resurfaced with a fervent call for action from two of the game’s most respected coaches.

The crux of their message: It’s time for women’s basketball to be recognized for its financial contributions and for the teams to be rewarded accordingly.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has indicated that unit distribution, a financial reward system similar to that of the men’s tournament, is targeted to begin in the 2024-25 season.

Currently, women’s programs do not receive such benefits, a discrepancy that has drawn criticism and sparked debates about equality.

Staley, a vocal advocate for the game’s value, stressed the significance of the revenue generated during the NCAA tournament, pointing out the $170 million that the 68 women’s teams could share.

“You look at what the 68 teams are going to divide up, I think I saw $170 million between the 68 teams,” Staley said per Andre Adelson of ESPON.

“When you start bringing in revenue like that, it will move your campus in a different direction when it comes to women. So we’ve got to fight for that.”

Lisa Bluder agrees with Dawn Staley

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Bluder echoed Staley’s sentiments, questioning the delay in implementing unit distribution and pushing for a faster pace in effecting these changes, emphasizing the need to capitalize on the current momentum and growth of the game.

“I know we’re going to get units coming up here pretty soon. That can’t come soon enough,” Bluder said. “Why are we waiting to put that in? Let’s do it now. Why wait? I think change has to happen a little bit quicker than what — they want to move.”

The proposed change comes on the heels of a lucrative new eight-year contract with ESPN for broadcasting rights, which prominently includes women’s basketball. The move is seen as an acknowledgment of the sport’s rising profile and as a direct consequence of the increased financial benefits the tournament brings.

While the finance committee of the NCAA has marked the 2024-25 season for this rollout following the ESPN deal, further discussions and a full Division I membership vote are necessary to iron out the distribution details.

The push for financial support is not without merit.

Record-breaking viewership numbers, such as the 14.2 million who tuned in for the Elite Eight game between UConn and Iowa, and unprecedented attendance for the tournament’s early rounds, are indicative of a sport on the rise.

It suggests that women’s basketball is not only growing but is a significant player in the collegiate sports landscape.

Numbers haven’t been released yet for the title game between South Carolina and Iowa, but it is expected that it will also break viewership records.

Hannah Stuelke had an impressive night against UConn on Friday. The forward played a crucial role in the Iowa Final Four victory, scoring 23 points in the game, more than any other player. She made up for Caitlin Clark’s struggle against the Huskies in the first half of the game.

Even the collegiate athletics governing body was shocked at the performance of Stuelke against the Huskies.

After what was an electric performance for the forward on Friday night, the NCAA invited her for a drug test to confirm whether the performance was clean and fair.

The result of the test was negative, clearing Hannah Stuelke of playing under the influence of any illegal substance. The forward made it known that she didn’t go to bed until 2:30 a.m. due to the delay caused by the drug testing following the Hawkeyes’ hard-fought win.

A brilliant season for Hannah Stuelke

It’s been a fantastic season for Hannah Stuelke at Iowa in 2023-24. Despite Caitlin Clark making all the headlines, the sophomore forward has played a crucial role in the Hawkeyes team’s success this season. She made that more evident in the Final Four encounter against the Huskies on Friday.

Stuelke has been involved in 34 games for Iowa this season, starting 31 of them.

She is averaging 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, a significant improvement from her freshman season.

The trajectory is expected to move upward in the coming years.

Iowa will need Stuelke to be 100% when they come up against South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday. The Gamecocks are undefeated so far this season and have their eyes on the national title. The Hawkeyes will hope to repeat their win over them in the 2023 Final Four.

A leadership role for Hannah Stuelke in the team next season

There will be a lot of changes in the Iowa setup next season. With the likes of Caitlin Clark, Gabbie Marshall and Kate Martin bowing out of college basketball after the national championship game, Hannah Stuelke is expected to assume a prominent leadership role.

She’s definitely someone head coach Lisa Bluder will count on as the Hawkeyes begin life after Caitlin Clark next season.

Following an impressive sophomore season with the team, Stuelke has proven she’ll be vital to Iowa’s success in her final two years of eligibility in the landscape.