Seattle is wheeling and dealing with Erica Wheeler
By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA - Erica Wheeler never saw herself signing with the Seattle Storm in free agency.
As an undrafted free agent, the former Rutgers standout is the longest-tenured player in the WNBA who didn’t hear their name called on draft night. Needless to say, Wheeler had several options, but the perfect storm brought her to the Pacific Northwest.
“I tell people all the time, like Seattle is not a place that I ever thought I would be,” Wheeler told Circling Seattle Sports in May. “But this last year taught me a lot and to get out of my bubble. It taught me to be more open. When it came to my decision, I tell people all the time that out of my 10 years, it’s probably the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Wheeler may believe signing with the Storm is the best decision she’s ever made, but it's easily the best Seattle made in the offseason. The veteran guard answers the call whenever the phone rings. Timely stops on defense and an uncanny sense of when to create for others and herself have paid dividends for a Storm team that lacked consistency in the backcourt next to star Skylar Diggins.
Wheeler has been the very definition of this. She’s averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 assists,1.3 stocks, and four assists in her last seven outings. Before being promoted to the starting lineup, Wheeler led all bench players in assists.
There isn’t an area on the floor that the Miami native hasn’t impacted. Everyone on the Storm has a nickname, and Wheeler is frequently called the “connector-in-chief” for her five-tool approach within the team’s philosophy.
In one of her best showings of the season, Wheeler posted 11 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and zero turnovers in a win over the lowly Dallas Wings.
“Once we drafted Dom, we had an idea what our frontcourt was going to look like,” said Ogwumike after beating the Dallas Wings. “We needed support for Sky and Gabby. Being able to bring a vet in like E [Erica], I don’t know, she’s kinda like all-gas no brakes.”
With Wheeler on the floor, Seattle posts a 110.9 offensive rating. With her off, it falls significantly to 96.4. To demonstrate how drastic a change that is, the Storm would be second in the WNBA and 11th, respectively. This is a contributing factor to Wheeler being in the starting lineup.
In a statement win over the previously undefeated Minnesota Lynx, Wheeler nearly had a double-double, finishing with 20 points and a team-leading nine assists. She scored eight points in the fourth quarter, which led the team. In her last seven games, Wheeler is third in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 6.3 points on 64% shooting.
Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler during the teams Wednesday, June 11th, 2025 win over the Minnesota Lynx at Climate Pledge Arena. (Photos by Liz Wolter for Circling Seattle Sports)
After the game, Wheeler cried happy tears during an interview with Storm sideline reporter Shantelle Chand. She explained the meaning behind them when speaking to the media afterwards.
“The emotions for me at the end was more so just me getting back to who I am (and) being on a team that appreciates everything that I do and a coach actually believing in me and allowing me to just be me unapologetically. So that’s why I was emotional. The love from Seattle has been crazy, man. I’m back. I just feel good here, I’m happy. Everything is just clicking.”
On several occasions since training camp, Wheeler has stated that Seattle and the Storm Center for Basketball Performance feel like home and that she enjoys going to work every day.
“I’ve been waking up in the morning, like damn, I can’t wait to get to the gym,” said Wheeler. “It’s just so much fun because you have a great group of people that just want to learn, that want to be here. You’ve got a bunch of great damn people, so its makes it easy to play basketball.”
Wheeler’s feelings about the organization are identical to how Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has spoken about her environment since signing in free agency last season.
“Ooh yeah, absolutely. I even think it’s probably fresh now because we had an amazing interaction with our fans yesterday. Just being around this community of people who love the Storm so much and love basketball so much. And love the city. I think what makes Seattle so special is that when I had the opportunity to decide to go somewhere else when I left LA, I don’t know. I’m just a West Coast girlie, you know what I’m saying? I’ve been in the Bay, I’ve been in LA, now I’m in the PNW. There’s just something about the West Coast that just feels like home, and I’m very grateful that I’m here in Seattle.”
Culture and unselfishness stand at the core of the Storm’s philosophy, on and off the court. Both Ogwumike and Diggins have stated that this iteration of Seattle personnel-wise is the best they’ve been a part of. As it stands, that has proved to be true on both sides of the ball.
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