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Erica Wheeler (basketball)

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Erica Wheeler
Wheeler with the Indiana Fever in 2023
No. 3 – Nesibe Aydın
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueTurkish Super League
Personal information
Born (1991-05-02) May 2, 1991 (age 33)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Listed weight143 lb (65 kg)
Career information
High schoolParkway Academy
(Miramar, Florida)
CollegeRutgers (2009–2013)
WNBA draft2013: undrafted
Playing career2013–present
Career history
2013Leonas de Ponce
2013–2014Mersin Kurtulus
2014–2015Sport Club do Recife
2015Atlanta Dream
2015New York Liberty
2015Atenienses de Manati
2015–2016Sampaio Basquete
2016–2019Indiana Fever
2016–2017Perfumerias Avenida Salamanca
2017–2018Beşiktaş
2018–2020Nadezhda Orenburg
2020–2021İzmit Belediyespor
2021Los Angeles Sparks
2021–2024BC Polkowice
2022Atlanta Dream
2023–presentIndiana Fever
2024–presentNesibe Aydın GSK
Career highlights and awards
Stats at WNBA.com
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Erica Wheeler (born May 2, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Nesibe Aydın GSK of the Turkish Super League. Wheeler was undrafted out of Rutgers, but eventually made her way into the WNBA in 2015.

Early life

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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

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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

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WNBA

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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]

Overseas

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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.[7] In the winter seasons of 2021/2022, 2022/2023, 2023/2024, she played for BC Polkowice in Poland.[8]

Career statistics

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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

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Regular season

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Stats current through end of 2024 regular season

WNBA regular season statistics[9]
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
2015 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
Career 9 years, 4 teams 297 211 23.2 .399 .328 .821 2.5 3.7 1.0 0.1 2.0 8.8
All-Star 1 0 18.8 .529 .538 — 4.0 7.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 25.0

Playoffs

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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

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NCAA statistics[10]
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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Andrew Kahn (July 28, 2017). "Humble and hungry, Erica Wheeler becomes Fever standout after circuitous road to WNBA". ESPN. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  2. ^ "Erica Wheeler basketball profile". basketball.eurobasket.com. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Erica Wheeler Bio". WNBA. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  4. ^ Ryan Young (July 27, 2019). "WNBA: Erica Wheeler leads Team Wilson at WNBA All-Star Game". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved July 28, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Megdal, Howard (March 1, 2021). "C. Vivian Stringer Is the Thread Between the W.N.B.A.'s Emerging Stars". The New York Times. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Peterson, Chloe (July 19, 2024). "CrowdStrike outage grounds Erica Wheeler; Kelsey Mitchell to step in WNBA Skills Challenge". Indianapolis Star.
  7. ^ Nguyen, Thuc Nhi (February 3, 2021). "Erica Wheeler is back in WNBA and says Sparks can win the championship". The LA Times. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "Erica Wheeler, Basketball Player, News, Stats - Eurobasket".
  9. ^ "Erica Wheeler WNBA Stats". Basketball Reference.
  10. ^ "NCAA® Career Statistics". NCAA. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
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