Erica Wheeler (basketball)

Erica Wheeler (born May 2, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Wheeler was undrafted out of Rutgers, but eventually made her way into the WNBA in 2015.

Erica Wheeler

Wheeler with the Indiana Fever in 2023
No. 17 – Seattle Storm
Position	Point guard / shooting guard
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(1991-05-02) May 2, 1991 (age 34) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Listed height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Listed weight	143 lb (65 kg)
Career information
High school	Parkway Academy (Miramar, Florida)
College	Rutgers (2009–2013)
WNBA draft	2013: undrafted
Playing career	2013–present
Career history
2013	Leonas de Ponce
2013–2014	Mersin Kurtulus
2014–2015	Sport Club do Recife
2015	Atlanta Dream
2015	New York Liberty
2015	Atenienses de Manati
2015–2016	Sampaio Basquete
2016–2019	Indiana Fever
2016–2017	Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca
2017–2018	Beşiktaş
2018–2020	Nadezhda Orenburg
2020–2021	İzmit Belediyespor
2021	Los Angeles Sparks
2021–2024	BC Polkowice
2022	Atlanta Dream
2023–2024	Indiana Fever
2024–2025	Nesibe Aydın GSK
2025–present	Seattle Storm
Career highlights
WNBA All-Star (2019) WNBA All-Star Game MVP (2019) McDonald's All-American (2009)
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference

Early life

Wheeler grew up in the Miami neighborhood of Liberty City. Liberty City is one of the worst, most crime-ridden inner cities in America, and Wheeler saw two of her close friends die when she was young.^[1] Wheeler attended Parkway Academy and was a member of the basketball team there.^[2]

College career

Wheeler committed to play at Rutgers in 2009. Rutgers reached the NCAA Tournament in each of her first three seasons. Wheeler contributed as a junior, leading the team in steals, and averaging just under 10 points per game.^[1] Prior to her senior year, Wheeler's mother died of cancer. However, Wheeler finished her senior season and graduated from Rutgers.^[1]

Professional career

WNBA

Wheeler earned a try-out in 2015 for the Atlanta Dream after not being selected in the WNBA Draft.^[1] Wheeler appeared in 17 games for the Dream in 2015, alongside Angel McCoughtry and Tiffany Hayes, but was eventually cut. Wheeler then moved to the New York Liberty, playing with Tina Charles and Swin Cash.^[1] In 2016, Wheeler was signed after training camp by the Indiana Fever and started in 25 games alongside Tamika Catchings.^[3] In 2017, Wheeler continued with the Fever and was second on the team in scoring, and led the team in assists.^[3] In 2019, Wheeler became the first undrafted player in WNBA history to be named All-Star Game MVP.^[4]

Before the start of the 2020 WNBA season, Wheeler tested positive for COVID-19, and developed health complications including fluid buildup around her heart. She was not cleared to resume playing basketball again until October, missing the entire COVID-shortened 2020 season, which ended October 6.^[5]

Prior to the start of the 2021 WNBA season, Wheeler signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Sparks to be their new starting point guard alongside Nneka Ogwumike.^[5] Then, before the start of the 2022 WNBA season, she signed with the Atlanta Dream for a second stint, playing with rookie Rhyne Howard.

Preceding the start of the 2023 WNBA season, Wheeler signed as a free agent with the Indiana Fever, returning to the franchise for a second stint. During the 2024 WNBA season, Wheeler served as the main backup to rookie Caitlin Clark. Wheeler was originally named as a contestant of the 2024 Skills Challenge at 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend, but was unable to attend due to the global computer outages delaying her travel.^[6] She was replaced by fellow Fever teammate, Kelsey Mitchell.^[6]

On February 12, 2025, Wheeler signed with the Seattle Storm.^[7]

Overseas

After missing the 2020 WNBA season due to COVID, Wheeler signed with Turkey's Izmit Belediyespor and played in 16 games of their 2020–21 season and ranking second on the team with 15.1 points per game.^[8] In the winter seasons of 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, she played for BC Polkowice in Poland.^[9]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career best	°	League leader

WNBA

Regular season

Stats current through end of 2024 regular season

WNBA regular season statistics^[10]

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2015	Atlanta	17	0	11.9	.457	.400	.500	0.9	1.5	0.5	0.0	1.2	4.5
	New York	3	0	8.7	.385	.000	1.000	1.3	0.3	1.3	0.0	2.0	4.7
2016	Indiana	34	25	23.9	.418	.298	.833	2.1	2.8	0.6	0.0	2.0	8.4
2017	Indiana	34	26	26.4	.400	.331	.792	3.0	4.1	1.4	0.0	2.2	11.8
2018	Indiana	34	22	21.7	.351	.276	.797	2.9	4.1	0.8	0.2	1.4	7.8
2019	Indiana	34	34	25.0	.426	.384	.872	3.0	5.0	1.2	0.1	2.9	10.1
2020	Did not play (opted out)
2021	Los Angeles	32	32	30.2	.417	.359	.827	3.1	4.8	1.3	0.3	2.7	13.6
2022	Atlanta	30	30	26.3	.355	.329	.756	3.1	3.9	1.1	0.1	2.5	8.4
2023	Indiana	40°	40°	26.8	.398	.309	.878	3.0	5.0	1.1	0.1	2.1	9.9
2024	Indiana	39	2	14.0	.411	.288	.846	1.4	1.8	0.4	0.1	0.9	3.6
2025	Seattle	20	13	26.9	.434	.405	.828	3.3	3.7	1.1	0.3	1.8	11.5
Career	10 years, 5 teams	317	224	23.5	.402	.336	.821	2.5	3.7	1.0	0.1	2.0	8.9
	All-Star	1	0	18.8	.529	.538	—	4.0	7.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	25.0

Playoffs

WNBA playoff statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2015	New York	3	0	2.7	.333	—	—	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	0.7
2016	Indiana	1	1	26.0	.500	1.000	1.000	3.0	3.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	10.0
2024	Indiana	2	0	9.5	.000	—	.750	0.0	1.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	1.5
Career	3 years, 2 teams	6	1	8.8	.400	1.000	.833	0.7	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.7	2.5

College

NCAA statistics^[11]

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2009–10	Rutgers	34	4	14.1	.292	.268	.875	1.1	0.8	0.7	0.1	1.5	3.4
2010–11	Rutgers	33	21	30.4	.380	.362	.711	3.0	1.8	1.7	0.1	2.2	9.7
2011–12	Rutgers	32	22	28.2	.351	.302	.800	2.8	1.5	1.6	0.1	2.1	8.6
2012–13	Rutgers	30	29	31.4	.354	.292	.750	3.2	2.4	2.5	0.1	2.8	10.5
Career		129	76	25.8	.352	.314	.770	2.5	1.6	1.6	0.1	2.1	8.0

Off the court

Philanthropy

In February 2024, Wheeler joined the WNBA Changemakers Collective and their collaboration with VOICEINSPORT (VIS) as a mentor, "aimed at keeping girls in sport and developing diverse leaders on the court and beyond the game."^[12][13]