"She brings the energy": Ex-Indiana Fever guard Erica Wheeler earns major props from $186,000 star

Erica Wheeler put herself on the map of the WNBA landscape by bringing enthusiasm to the hardcourt on a nightly basis. It did not take long for her new teammates this season to notice the vigor that she brings to the reserve unit.

After the Seattle Storm went 3-1 to start their 2025 campaign, starter Ezi Magbegor complimented Wheeler, who spent the past two seasons with the Indiana Fever, for the intangibles she has showcased thus far.

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Ezi Magbegor on Erica Wheeler

"We love having E here in Seattle, she brings the energy off the court...offensively she obv hd a great game...just being able to have her come off the bench, be that spark...just her being able to sustain that for 4 quarters is great."

The praise from Magbegor, who is on a one-year, $186,000 contract, comes on the heels of a 21-point outburst from Wheeler in the Storm's 102-82 victory over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. This was easily the best offensive display from Wheeler this season, and it indicates that her comfort level in Seattle is increasing as the season progresses.

Making Wheeler's scoring output even more impressive is the fact that only Nneka Ogwumike (who tallied 23 points) got more buckets than her. Playing 30 minutes off the bench, the dynamic 5-foot-7 guard also had three rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

After going undrafted in 2015, Wheeler has played for five different teams in the WNBA. Thrice in her career, the former Rutgers stalwart averaged better than 10.0 points in a season. In 2019, when Wheeler made her first All-Star appearance, she recorded 10.1 points per game on 42.6% shooting from the field.

But even when she's not putting up headline-worthy numbers, Wheeler has proven time and again that she adds value to a team with her grit, hustle and intellect.

Erica Wheeler hypes up Storm HC whose win total made franchise history

While Ezi Magbegor was generous with her praise for her new teammate, Erica Wheeler sent good vibes to the team's coach, who recently achieved a milestone.

On May 19, Noelle Quinn tallied her 75th win in Seattle after the Storm defeated the Dallas Wings 79-71. After the victory, the Storm organization recognized Quinn as only the third coach in franchise history to crack 75 wins — a feat that Wheeler celebrated on social media.

"Yaaaaaaaaa Noeyyyyy!!!!" Wheeler tweeted.

Both Wheeler and Quinn hope that the Storm will make the postseason and pull off some more crucial wins there as well.