"Get me to Seattle now": Erica Wheeler rues 'diabolical' WNBA schedule amid brutal 7-day road stretch

Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler shared her desire to return home after a grueling seven-day road trip that wrapped up Saturday. Despite the demanding schedule, the Storm managed to take two of three games on the road.

The team hit the road last Sunday for a matchup against the Golden State Valkyries, falling 76-70. They bounced back with a dominant 98-67 win over the LA Sparks on Wednesday, then closed out the trip with a 90-83 victory against the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday.

Following the win over the Aces, Wheeler voiced her fatigue on X.

“…get me to Seattle now!!!! 7 days on the road is diabolical,” she wrote.

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Wheeler and the Storm now get some time at home, with their next three games at Climate Pledge Arena. But the competition remains tough — they face the defending champion New York Liberty on Monday, then the Indiana Fever on Wednesday.

Saturday brings a home game against the Connecticut Sun before the Storm embark on another challenging stretch: four straight road games from June 30 to July 9, including rematches with the Valkyries, Liberty and Sun.

After that, Seattle will enjoy a four-game homestand from July 12 to 23.

Erica Wheeler finding success in Seattle

While Erica Wheeler may not be thrilled with the travel, she’s thriving in her first season with the Seattle Storm. She’s averaging 10.8 points per game — her highest mark since 2021.

She’s scored in double figures in seven of her 12 appearances this season, including two 20-point performances. On Saturday, she posted 17 points on 50.0% shooting in the win over Las Vegas.

Earlier this month, Wheeler reflected on her experience in Seattle in an interview with The Next.

“This group has just been really great, and the sense of culture — because that’s what we’ve been stressing, the culture needs to be good,” Wheeler said.

“Genuinely, (we’re) just gravitating to each other. That’s the part that I love about being able to wake up and I’m like, ‘I’m ready to go see my teammates,’ because, naturally, we just want to be around each other.”

Now in her 11th WNBA season, this marks Erica Wheeler's first year with the Storm after two seasons — and six overall — with the Indiana Fever.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro