Caitlin Clark Names Unexpected Former NBA Player One of Her Favorites

Caitlin Clark Names Unexpected Former NBA Player One of Her Favorites originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA hyped up to be a generational star. It hasn't taken long for the Indiana Fever phenom to establish herself as such. In her rookie season, she averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds a game, shooting 41.7% from the field and 34.4% from three.

That has continued in her sophomore year. Though she has been dealing with injuries, Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and five rebounds a game, shooting 36.7% from the field and nearly 28% from three.

Clark is only scratching the surface of what she could become. In the process, she's also helped make the WNBA the most popular the sport has ever been. Her flashy style as a shooter and playmaker has attracted new fans and will likely attract even more as her career progresses.

Like any basketball phenom, Clark had her influences growing up. During her appearance on WNBA legend Sue Bird's podcast on Friday, Clark admitted that she looked up to two NBA players: Stephen Curry and Jimmer Fredette. She elaborated further on the latter's influence.

“Honestly, I grew up a basketball junkie,” Clark told Bird. “So, I think even if you’re not intentionally watching and paying attention, you’re just absorbing what you’re consuming... I always watch Steph or even Jimmer, who I love.

“Like I told Jimmer this when we were doing Sue’s Places. He was one of my favorite players growing up, and there was the famous song ‘Teach Me How To Jimmer.’ And I had the shirt that said ‘Teach Me How To Jimmer.’ If you haven’t seen it, look it up on YouTube. It’s a ‘Teach Me How To Dougie’ remix. It’s a teach me how to Jimmer. It’s hilarious.”

Fredette was a college basketball sensation at Brigham Young University, particularly in his senior year. In his final year with the Cougars, Fredete averaged nearly 29 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 45.2% from the field and 39.6% from three. His numbers led to him winning the College National Player of the Year award in 2011.

His play also made the video "Teach Me How to Jimmer" quite the video sensation as well.

Jimmer Fredette's Abilities Never Translated in the NBA

Fredette's abilities were good enough to make him an NBA lottery pick, but he never came close to replicating the same success he had in college in the NBA. The best numbers he put up were during his rookie year with the Sacramento Kings, where he averaged 7.6 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 rebounds.

The best field goal percentages he made were during his third NBA season, when he shot 47.1% from the field and 49.3% from three. However, he only averaged 10.6 minutes per game in 49 games. Fredette has much better success overseas with the Shanghai Sharks.

Luckily for Clark, everything she showed at the collegiate level appears to have translated on the professional level and then some.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.