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Atlanta Dream guard and former undrafted participant turned All-Star Sport MVP Erica Wheeler not too long ago joined the Get With It podcast to debate her journey so far within the W.
Wheeler and WSLAM’s Camille Buxeda and Jianni Smith lined many subjects, however one reoccurring theme that saved popping up is the significance of Wheeler’s mom and the impact she had on her life.
“After I go at something like this interview, once I’m on a court docket, once I’m doing something that I can impression I at all times simply attempt to do it to the most effective of my means as a result of let the world know that somebody who struggled most of her life raised a fantastic daughter.”
The impression Wheeler’s mom had on her is put to coronary heart in a brand new adidas PE that’s being launched in honor of her. On the most recent episode of WSLAM’s pod, Wheeler gave an unique sneak peek on the design of the shoe.
“It has ribbons underneath the only real and within the ribbon it says ‘For Mother’ …. it cuffs my toes and my toes don’t slide. And it additionally give me that increase feeling as a result of it’s mushy,” Wheeler mentioned of the shoe. “My mother handed away from cervical most cancers. The ribbon of cervical most cancers is teal, so the shoe’s all teal. And I feel the dope half about it’s the backside of the shoe. It’s clear, and it has ribbons throughout them.”
Together with speaking in regards to the new adidas PE, Wheeler and the Get With It crew lined fairly a number of subjects spanning the entire size of Wheeler’s profession. Wheeler determined to attend Rutgers College over UConn, LSU, South Carolina, and others. She says it began with a go to from head coach C. Vivian Stringer.
“The dialog was tremendous family-orientated as a result of we simply began speaking about meals, it wasn’t even about basketball,” Wheeler advised WSLAM. “I feel the one factor that caught out to my mother is was I by no means let house, so she felt extra snug with me going to Rutgers as a result of how Vivian approached our household.”
In accordance with Wheeler, Stringer let her know that she’d be capable to graduate in 4 years and ‘know learn how to speak, learn how to characterize herself, and etiquette.’ As the primary to graduate from faculty in her household, Wheeler additionally noticed the varsity’s etiquette courses as one thing she may ‘deliver house’ to show them.
After 77 wins and three NCAA Match appearances in 4 years with Stringer at Rutgers, Wheeler mirrored on one thing Stringer taught her that also sticks along with her to this present day. “Actually, simply being relentless. Like, she by no means gave us nothing. She didn’t care how good you had been; I used to be the primary participant leaving out of Florida when she recruited me, and he or she didn’t care. Like I don’t care how good you’re, you’re going to work for the whole lot.”
This relentless angle enabled Wheeler to struggle via being undrafted within the WNBA Draft, and in the end taking an opportunity on herself in Puerto Rico after getting a name from a good friend to play for a membership crew.
“I used to be working at True Faith and a drug abuse facility,” Wheeler says. “So for me, I’m like, Okay do I stroll away from nearly 3,000 to make only one,000? However this isn’t my calling, like that is simply work. Basketball is my calling. So I’m similar to, ‘Man me strolling away from that is mainly betting on myself.’ So I simply determined, I’m like, Alright. I ended up quitting each jobs.”
After profitable a championship down in Puerto Rico with the crew, Wheeler was capable of showcase her expertise briefly abroad and land a tryout with the Atlanta Dream. There, she placed on a ‘I’m bout to bust they ass and get this spot’ angle to finally be chosen for the one open roster spot after competing in opposition to three different gamers.
Whereas Wheeler solely performed 17 video games in Atlanta, it was a leaping level for the remainder of her profession. A mere 4 years later, she turned the primary undrafted participant in historical past to be named All-Star Sport MVP, representing the Indiana Fever. Nonetheless, Wheeler admits that she didn’t even see the All-Star nod coming in any respect.
“After I bought that, I assumed it was a prank actually,” Wheeler says. “I’m considering my greatest good friend or my brother advised a lady to name me to prank name me. As a result of in the event you ask Bethany, I’m like ‘man cease taking part in get off my rattling telephone’ like cursed on the girl and the whole lot.”
Wheeler was instrumental in Crew A’ja Wilson’s 129-126 victory, recording a game-high 25 factors and 7 assists in 19 minutes of run to safe the victory for her crew.
All of it finally got here full circle for Wheeler, who made her manner again to Atlanta this season. She’s presently averaging 9.6 factors, 4.4 rebounds, and three.4 assists per recreation for the 4-1 Dream. Wheeler has a powerful message for the remainder of the W and anybody who’s sleepin’ on ATL.
“Simply preserve sleeping on Atlanta if you wish to. I feel we woke some folks up that first recreation although,” Wheeler says. “After we lose we gon’ lose collectively, once we win we gon’ win collectively, and we by no means separate… y’all gon see.”
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