Essentials Inside The Story
- The McCaffery family faces another personal setback as Caitlin Clark's boyfriend shares the sad news.
- Kelsey Mitchell, Clark, and more sent love and prayers.
- McCaffery was on to a fresh beginning before he had to hit pause.
“The world produces waves. Surf or drown. You decide.” Before he became the 144th overall player in the class of 2025, Iowa City West’s Jack McCaffery quoted the late fashion designer Virgil Abloh in a January 2025 Instagram post. Somewhere, he always kept that message close to his heart.
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Fast forward to two seasons from then, he was in the middle of a fresh start at Richmond after a freshman year stint at Butler, where his brother Patrick was playing his final NCAA season, and Connor was an assistant coach. While his head coach, Chris Mooney, would say that McCaffery had become an important part of their program already, that contribution will have to wait as the 20-year-old heard bad news.
On Sunday, November 8, University of Richmond Athletics announced that the 20-year-old was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma and will be on an indefinite leave. Connor McCaffery, the boyfriend of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, shared the news on Instagram, with childhood pictures of the two of them, garnering reactions from Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, and more.
“Nobody stronger than u to fight this 🙏🏼❤️ you’ve got us all with you and we love you ❤️ CANCER SUCKS!!!!!!!!,” he wrote.
Jack was seen by Richmond’s medical staff earlier this week, then traveled home with his parents and was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He has already begun treatment there under Penn Medicine.
Jack McCaffery’s father, doctor, and head coach share their thoughts
His father and the Penn head coach, Fran, thanked the involved teams.
“He is in great hands and our family feels blessed to be here, where Jack’s care is directed by this world-class care team,” Fran McCaffery wrote.
The 1982 Wharton graduate thanked Richmond’s coaching staff and medical team for their prompt response, as well as University of Pennsylvania Health System CEO Kevin Mahoney and the hospital’s staff.
Dr. Alison Wakoff Loren of Penn Medicine said in the school’s statement that Hodgkin’s lymphoma is “a highly curable form of cancer.” She added that the goal is to get Jack through treatment safely and back with his teammates as soon as possible.
Richmond coach Chris Mooney said the whole program will be there for Jack and his family “every step of the way.”
After one year at Butler, he moved to Richmond and was in his first season with the Spiders.
Clark, her teammates also sent their prayers
The support is no surprise. Clark and Connor both played at Iowa, where he finished second in program history with 166 games played. Just days earlier, on Thursday night, Clark sat behind the Penn bench next to Connor, who wore a gray Penn hoodie, as Fran’s team played No. 3 Illinois in Champaign. The reactions to Jack’s news came in fast.
Clark commented, “❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
Her Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham left “❤️.”
Kelsey Mitchell wrote, “🫂🫶.”
Gabbie Marshall, a former Iowa teammate, also chipped in with “❤️❤️❤️.”
Lexie Hull added, “❤️❤️.”
It is not the family’s first health battle either. Jack’s older brother, Patrick, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2014 as a 14-year-old. He underwent treatment, including two surgeries, first to remove the mass and then to remove the thyroid. He was officially cancer-free three months later. He played for his father at Iowa before moving to Butler.
For now, Jack’s season is on hold while he focuses on treatment. He has his family, his team, and a long list of familiar names in his corner.