“She’s been doing a great job accepting and receiving (advice) from me,” the Indiana Fever veteran Erica Wheeler spoke about Caitlin Clark when the latter was about to enter the WNBA. Wheeler further stated that Clark was one of the “biggest players” and wanted Indiana’s star to help her. Thus, the 33-year-old assumed the role of a mentor for the young Indiana players and especially for Clark, as per Wheeler’s own admission, she was a “big sister.” And now when the Iowa-alum is having a spectacular rookie season, she didn’t forget to credit Wheeler.

The Fever rookie is on her way to play her last home game of the regular season on Sunday. When asked about the support the veteran guard Erica Wheeler has given her, Clark was all praises for her teammate.

“I think she’s somebody that understands me well like she’s always there whether the one’s really good moments not so great like you know she’s there to help me through it. Or celebrate it whatever it is good or bad and I think that speaks obviously her time in the league. She understands how it goes and just trying top help me through my rookie season and you know help me understand you know how the league works and what to expect and what teams are going to do so. So I think it’s been a fun journey for both of us and it honestly feels just like yesterday where we first met and our training camp with one another. So it’s definitely been fun,” Clark stated.

Though Clark had a lazy start to the season, she came into her own when she hit a triple-double against the New York Liberty in July. Then, against the Wings in the same month, Clark dished out the highest assists in a singular WNBA game (19). If that wasn’t enough, she hit another triple-double against the Los Angeles Sparks in September, becoming the first rookie to have 2 triple-doubles in a season.

To top it all, she has hit 14 double-doubles, the most by a guard in a single WNBA season. Currently, the 2x AP Player of the Year leads the league in assists and also recorded the most three-pointers in a rookie season (114). As of now, she is on her way to scoring the most points by a rookie if she hits another 19 in the game today, which will help her surpass Seimone Augustus’s record of 744 in 2006. And seeing Clark’s performance, even their head coach Christie Sides couldn’t stay away from complimenting Wheeler.

Christie Sides applauds Erica Wheeler for her relations with her juniors

During the 2023 season, Wheeler was a mainstay for the team, starting in all 40 games. Though she averaged just 9.9 points per game, her true potential lay in her playmaking skills. The 33-year-old dished out an average of 5 assists per game. However, during the 2024 season, the thought process of the team was different. Wheeler was given the task of being Clark’s backup, considering the 22-year-old was known since her NCAA days for her play-making potential.

Acknowledging the same, the head coach Christie Sides divulged that Wheeler did in fact stick to her role of being an elder sister to Clark, despite the latter replacing her in the starting five. The 47-year-old applauded Clark for her “information for the players during games,” apart from pointing out that she was doing a lot of coaching in the huddle for the Fever.

And perhaps, now that Indiana has come to the fore to praise Wheeler, it will only boost her confidence. Plus, it might get her to watch more film and plan strategies for her teammates, heading into the playoffs. Still, it is always refreshing to see the spotlight shine on Clark’s teammates as well.