Erica Wheeler signs with Seattle Storm after second stint in Indy
Wheeler is excited about a fresh start as she heads into her 10th WNBA season after going undrafted. But first, she returned to Turkey to finish the season overseas.
Erica Wheeler, the veteran point guard and 2019 WNBA All-Star MVP, has found a new home.
After spending six of her nine WNBA seasons with the Indiana Fever, Wheeler has signed a training camp contract with the Seattle Storm.
“This next chapter will be a chapter that will WRITE itself!” she wrote on Instagram’s Twitter rival, Threads. “It’s not about money or anything! Only work! I just need to let God do his work thru me!”
Wheeler recently returned to the United States for a few weeks from Turkey, where she’s playing for Nesibe Aydin GSK in the offseason. She sat courtside at a Pacers game, then was back home in Miami and checked out Unrivaled.
Wheeler, who turns 34 in May, built a reputation as a steady floor leader, tenacious defender, and vocal presence on and off the court. Undrafted out of Rutgers in 2013, she has carved out a remarkable professional career, including two stints with the Fever (2016-2019, 2023-2024), along with stops in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.
In the last year, she opened a restaurant, Cliché Wine Bar, in the Atlanta area.
Last season with the Fever, Wheeler played in 39 games, starting just two of them. The starting backcourt duo of Kelsey Mitchell and rookie Caitlin Clark played in all 40 games.
Therefore, Mitchell’s minutes decreased from 26.8 to 14.0 per game — and she averaged 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. She was one of the first players to put her arm around Clark and say ‘I got you.’
Wheeler said that she got her energy from her mom and that given how she’s one of the most experienced players in the league, she’s been through so many things. So if she notices something, or can help in any way, she’s going to do so.
“I think, just from a perspective of a veteran, knowing that when you play the same position as a veteran and you're a rookie, I think the transition is always hard,” she said. “And for me, I don't like weirdness, I don't like awkwardness. I'm very honest, I'm very direct.”
“I didn't want anything to be weird or awkward that she couldn't come to me. And knowing that, I knew that it's a possibility my spot would be taken. I didn't want her to feel like it was heavy on her, so that's why I reached out early on.”
Due to Clark’s impact, the Fever went all-in this offseason and signed of veteran free agents — Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson — paving the way for Wheeler’s departure.
That’s in addition to an entirely new front office and coaching staff.
The upcoming season will be Wheeler’s 10th WNBA season, a remarkable feat for any player, but especially for a player who went undrafted in 2013 and worked her way into the league two years later.
“I am hearing Seattle weather is super nice in the summer!” she wrote on Threads. “So that means I gotta find a pickle ball court.
“My LA family is loving that I am back on the west coast!”
Over the last few weeks, the Storm have re-signed Gabby Williams and Nneka Ogwumike, they brought in Alysha Clark — and most notably, they acquired the No. 2 pick (and more) for Jewell Loyd, who wanted out.
For Wheeler, the opportunity in Seattle offers a chance to bring leadership, playmaking, and defensive intensity to a team eager to return to contention in the Western Conference. They returned to the postseason last fall, but lost in the first round. It’s a team that is re-tooling from a group that finished with the fifth best record in the league (among 12 teams), just ahead of the Fever.
“Erica’s capacity to create plays and facilitate points is a huge add for our team,” said Storm head coach Noelle Quinn. “She brings a strong dedication to the game and is an incredible teammate. We’re looking forward to Erica joining us in Seattle.”
Wheeler will look to prove she still has plenty to offer at the highest level and earn her place on a WNBA roster once again. Training camps open in late April, with the regular season tipping off on May 16.