Erica Wheeler

Erica Wheeler: A Brief Biography

Erica Wheeler is a professional women’s basketball player who plays for Indiana Fever in the WNBA. Wheeler was not drafted when she left Rutgers University in 2013 but her hard work and talent saw her join the league in 2015 with the Atlanta Dream. She has played for several teams in the course of her career such as the Atlanta Dream, New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks. Some of Wheeler’s achievements include being selected as the WNBA All-Star in 2019 and becoming the first-ever undrafted player to be crowned the WNBA All-Star game MVP in the same year.

Wheeler faced multiple challenges in her journey to the WNBA like losing her mother to cancer at the start of her senior year. Despite such a major setback, Wheeler had her best season in college and averaged 10.5 points, 2.4 assists, and 3.2 rebounds along with 2.5 steals per game while playing 30 games in her senior season.

Erica Wheeler Early Life

Erica Wheeler was born on May 2, 1991, and she was raised in Liberty City Miami, Florida. Two of her friends died young and she was close to them, events that shaped her in a big way. Nevertheless, Wheeler was able to find hope and meaning in basketball. She was a student of Parkway Academy in Miramar, Florida, and while in high school, she joined the basketball team.

In Parkway Academy, Wheeler took her team to three straight state championship games and won two of the games. Her performance on the basketball court was outstanding and she was awarded the McDonald’s All-American in 2009, which placed her among the best high school basketball players in the United States. This achievement paved the way for her collegiate career, she decided to attend Rutgers University in 2009.

Erica Wheeler Personal Life

Erica Wheeler, a native of Miami, Florida, has never concealed the fact that there are many important factors in her private life. Wheeler was raised in Liberty City, a district that is depicted as problematic; she experienced the death of her mother to cancer while in college. This loss was a great blow to her, but at the same time it became the driving force to work hard in her basketball career. Wheeler has often attributed her success to her mother and in her honour, she decided to work even harder to achieve her dreams, according to the Indiana Fever page.

In her personal life, Wheeler is engaged to Danielle Edwards, an assistant coach of the Southern Methodist University Mustangs Women’s Basketball team. The couple’s love affair came to the limelight when Wheeler decided to pop the big question to Edwards in a romantic and dramatic manner after a preseason match between Indiana Fever and the Dallas Wings in May 2023, according to LGBTQ Nation.

Erica Wheeler Family Background

Erica Wheeler was born on May 2, 1991, in Miami, Florida, and was raised in the Liberty City neighborhood, which is notorious for its high crime rates and poor living conditions. She was the youngest of three daughters born to Melissa Cooper, who raised them up. She was a barbershop and salon owner was a hardworking woman who struggled to take care of her family and at the same time work, according to IndyStar.

Wheeler’s family resided in a three-bedroom house with her grandmother and other members of the family and there were thirteen of them in the house. Despite the fact that Wheeler grew up in a large family, which could be considered too close-knit, he had a good background to rely on. Her mother died of cancer when she was in college and this was a big blow to her but at the same time it motivated her to work hard in order to achieve her dreams of being a successful basketball player. Wheeler has mentioned her mother several times and how her family has been instrumental in her quest to become a professional basketball player. (via IndyStar)

Erica Wheeler Social Media

Erica Wheeler is seen regularly on social media platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), where she shares her daily life updates along with her latest outfits and game highlights as well. She loves to post highlights of her games and also posts short videos for her fans. Her Instagram handle is @eweezy_3 and her X account has the username @EWeezy_For3eezy.

Erica Wheeler girlfriend

Danielle Edwards, the girlfriend of WNBA player Erica Wheeler, is an accomplished basketball coach serving as an assistant coach for the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Mustangs Women’s Basketball team as od 2024, as per LGBTQ Nation. Edwards, a Clemson University alumna, has a deep-rooted passion for basketball, which she has successfully transitioned into a coaching career. Her expertise and dedication to the sport have made her a respected figure in the basketball community.

The couple’s relationship gained public attention when Wheeler proposed to Edwards in a heartfelt ceremony after an Indiana Fever preseason win against the Dallas Wings in May 2023. The proposal, which took place on the court surrounded by teammates, family, and friends, was a testament to their deep bond and mutual support. Wheeler’s emotional proposal and Edwards’s joyous acceptance was celebrated by pro LGBTQ pages and associations like LGBTQ Nation who strive to share more stories about acceptance.

Erica Wheeler Brand Ambassador

In June 2020, the 2019 WNBA All-Star MVP Erica Wheeler joined the FITLIGHT team as an official brand ambassador, which is a technology company that focuses on the exercise and training with light sensors, as per Sports Agent Blog. The products of FITLIGHT are aimed at increasing the reaction time, the speed of movement, and the reflexes of the athletes, which will be very suitable for Wheeler as she has always been characterized by her fast-decision-making abilities and quick movements on the basketball court. Wheeler, as a brand ambassador, uses FITLIGHT’s technology in her training, which enables her to get ready for the WNBA seasons and stay sharp.

Wheeler’s use of FITLIGHT is not limited to her training sessions alone but is a partnership with the company. She also intends to incorporate FITLIGHT products during her youth basketball camps that are organized by her non-profit organization, Wheeler Kid Foundation. This collaboration enables her to pass on new training methods to young talents and help them nurture their talent in order to achieve their dreams.

Erica Wheeler Career Stats

Erica Wheeler has been a great asset to the WNBA and has been recognized for her speed, her ability to take charge and her scoring prowess. She has also played for other teams such as Atlanta Dream, Indiana Fever, Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty. Wheeler averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the 2023 WNBA Season. She has also accumulated 286 steals, 30 blocks and 1,112 assists, as of September 2024, proving herself as a versatile player.

Wheeler has had some of the best performances of her career in the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game, where she became the first undrafted player to win the All-Star Game MVP. In that particular match, she was able to score 25 points and also provided 7 assists to help her team win the game and this made her to be recognized by many people as a talented player, as per WNBA. Another important game in her career was on July 19, 2019, when she scored 28 points in the match against the Dallas Wings, which proved that she is capable of scoring a lot and taking the game into her own hands, as per ESPN.

Erica Wheeler Achievements

Erica Wheeler has dealt with much hardship on her climb to the WNBA, however her story of success from being undrafted to being an All-Star Game MVP shows much determination on her part. Below mentioned are some of her most notable achievements in her career so fas, as of September 2024.

WNBA All-Star MVP (2019)

In 2019, Erica Wheeler was the first undrafted player to win the WNBA All-Star Game MVP. She was able to make 25 points and 7 assist and helped her team win the game and she was applauded for her excellent performance.

Career-High Scoring Game

On the 19th of July in the year 2019, Wheeler was able to score as many as 28 points, which was the highest in her career to date, in a match against the Dallas Wings. This game proved her capacity to take over and control the game, which made her a leading scorer in the league.

Consistent Playmaker

Over the years, Wheeler has been recognized for her playmaking skills. She has gathered more than 1,112 assists per game as of September 2024.

Defensive Contributions

It is also important to mention Wheeler’s defensive abilities. She has also accumulated 286 steals and 30 block in her WNBA career, thus proving that she can make a huge impact on both offense and defence.

McDonald’s All-American

Wheeler is a McDonald’s All-American and was selected for it in 2009 after a promising high school career. This put her among the best prospects for college basketball in the country at the time.

Erica Wheeler contract

Erica Wheeler is on a 2-year $444,308 deal with the Indiana Fever as of 2024, which includes a guaranteed amount of $404,308 and an average annual salary of $222,154, as per Spotrac. In 2024, Wheeler earns a base salary of $202,154, while carrying a cap hit of $202,154 and a dead cap value of $202,154. Prior to this deal, Wheeler signed a 2-year, $365,400 deal with the Los Angeles Sparks, which had an average annual salary of $182,700.