Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler is heading to the Seattle Storm, she revealed on the Easy Buckets show on PlayersTV on Wednesday.
Indiana Fever guard joins Seattle Storm in latest WNBA free agency move
Erica Wheleer, who was a veteran presence for Caitlin Clark and the Fever last season, join the Storm.
Photo by Bri Lewerke/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
On Twitter, Wheeler expressed her excitement for the move: This next chapter will be a chapter that will WRITE itself! …it’s not about money or anything! Only work! I just need to let God do his work thru me.”
Wheeler is a scrappy veteran guard who has spent most of her career in Indiana. The 33-year-old began her career on the New York Liberty in 2015, and has since enjoyed stops with the Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, and Los Angeles Sparks. In her 8-year WNBA career, she’s averaged 8.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 23.2 minutes per game.
What the Indiana Fever lose in Erica Wheeler
Before this past season, Wheeler started nearly every game she played in since 2016. And, in 2019, she even won the All-Star game MVP.
But, with Fever players like Lexie Hull enjoying breakout seasons, and Caitlin Clark playing heavy guard minutes, Wheeler was relegated to the bench and played just 14 minutes per game, her lowest since 2015.
Still, she was an integral member of the Fever locker room, serving as a veteran presence for Clark, in particular, during her rookie season. She developed a reputation for her integral role as a member of Clark’s “de-escalation committee” — a group of Fever players who worked to minimize the star guard’s technical fouls.
“I think she’s somebody who understands me well,” Clark said, per SB Nation’s Jacob Rude. “She’s always there, whether the moment’s really good or the moment’s not so great. She’s there to help me through it or celebrate it, whatever it is, good or bad.”
In Wheeler’s absence, the Fever signed several other veteran players who should be able to fill that leadership void, including DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson.
What the Seattle Storm gain with the free agency signing
Now, Wheeler heads to Seattle, where she has the potential to play a larger role than she would have in Indiana as a scrappy point guard who can distribute the ball and add some bench depth.
“Erica’s capacity to create plays and facilitate points is a huge add for our team,” said Storm coach Noelle Quinn in an official press release. “She brings a strong dedication to the game and is an incredible teammate. We’re looking forward to Erica joining us in Seattle.”
Wheeler joins a Storm team headlined by Nneka Ogwumike, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Gabby Williams, and Ezi Magbegor. The Storm also added center Li Yueru via the Jewell Loyd trade and former Sixth Player of the Year Alysha Clark via free agency, while losing both forward Jordan Horston and rookie Rookie Nika Muhl to torn ACLs suffered this offseason.
“Seattle is one of the most prestigious franchises in the league, and I couldn’t be more proud to share the court with players like Nneka, Alysha, Skylar, and Gabby. I can’t wait to get to work,” Wheeler said in a press release.
Whether or not Seattle chooses to keep the No. 2 pick in the 2025 draft could help determine what kinds of opportunities Wheeler sees on the floor. Wheeler’s opportunities may be more limited if the Storm decide to draft a point guard who plays significant minutes alongside Diggins-Smith. Regardless, she’ll bring bench depth and veteran leadership to a locker room that looks to contend for a championship.
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