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Caitlin Clark, Special Guest Seen at Illinois vs. Penn Game
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- Caitlin Clark, Special Guest Seen at Illinois vs. Penn Game
Coach Brad Underwood's Illinois Fighting Illini took on coach Fran McCaffrey's Penn Quakers at State Farm Center Thursday night, giving fans a chance to watch the No. 3 team in the nation against an accomplished former Big Ten coach's team.
The Fighting Illini jumped out to a 53-30 halftime lead during a contest that also saw a pair of special guests in the building, former Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball legend Caitlin Clark of the WNBA's Indiana Fever, and her boyfriend Connor McCaffrey, the son of Fran McCaffrey, who played on the Hawkeyes men's team.
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A photo of the couple went viral as fans took in the action in Champaign, Ill.
Pat McAfee listens to Caitlin Clark Oct. 3, 2026 during a live broadcast of ESPN's "College GameDay" in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. Reuters Connect - N/A
Clark, McCaffrey Spotted at Illinois Game
Clark and McCaffrey were spotted sitting in folding chairs near the Fighting Illini student section as they took in the action Thursday night.
McCaffrey was spotted wearing a grey Penn Quakers hooded sweatshirt while Clark did not appear to wear any team attire.
The Fighting Illini began to pile on the Quakers in the second half as they held a 90-53 lead with just under eight minutes to go in the second half.
They outscored Fran McCaffrey's team 37-23 in the second half as of the eight-minute mark as Underwood's team was led by Andrej Stojakovic , who had 25 points at that point in the game. Freshman Quentin Coleman was next on the board with 17 points as of the eight-minute mark, while Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks chipped in 11 points and freshman Ethan Brown had 10 points.
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Caitlin Clark: A Big Ten Basketball Legend
Clark is a Big Ten basketball legend from her days in Iowa City as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024 against the LSU Tigers and South Carolina Gamecocks , both losses.
She finished as the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer in women's basketball with 3,951 points, ahead of former Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell, who is now her teammate with the Fever.
Clark's final point total made her the NCAA's all-time leading scorer among women's basketball standouts, just ahead of Kelsey Plum, formerly of the Washington Huskies .
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Her boyfriend, McCaffrey, finished second in Iowa men's basketball history with 166 games played, which included 89 games started. He played under his father and averaged 4.5 points per game during his time with the Hawkeyes, where he was known as a strong passer, caretaker of the basketball, and outside shooter.
He was also known for his athleticism with the Hawkeyes basketball program, but did not play in the NBA, and took a job this year as a player development assistant with the Noblesville (Ind.) Boom of the G-League.
The presence of Clark and McCaffrey at Illinois' Thursday night game shows how Underwood's team is becoming a must-watch program heading into what fans think could be a national championship run. The Fighting Illini put on a show against the Quakers, sending Fran McCaffrey's team back to the drawing board while cruising toward a 2-0 start to the 2026-27 season.
