No matter how famous or how talented you are, going from college sports to pro is bound to bring its own set of challenges. The same went for Caitlin Clark of Iowa Hawkeyes fame when she started playing for the Indiana Fever. The attention she brought to women’s basketball already felt like being thrust into a new world. But luckily for the No. 22, she had a ‘big sister’ on the new team to help her out.

Erica Wheeler, a 10-year veteran, has always been supportive of the rookie. Despite sharing the same position, their relationship on and off the court has only grown. When a reporter asked Wheeler about the same, the Fever guard said, “I think just having conversations – people just misunderstand her and she’s the type when you sometimes have to say what it is, whether she responds or not. But you need to say what it is.”

No. 17 also iterated how the rookie/ veteran dynamic still exists between them. “Me as a vet and she’s been a rookie and certain things I’m not gonna let her do whether she likes it or not, and I think she appreciates that for me. And then with her being on the court, just trying to contain her in ways that I know she’ll receive it.”

Caitlin Clark fans have noticed this sweet treatment from her league senior and per a recent X post from the 33-year-old, they even treated her to dinner at a restaurant. In a classic sign of sportsmanship between teammates, the two Fever players just tug on fans’ heartstrings! In the presser, Wheeler further revealed how she actually approaches this mentorship with the Iowa sensation, “who never takes anything serious.”

The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game MVP just tries to do it in a friendly way rather than be harsh. “I never try to be too serious, I try to do it in a joking way. So that she can receive and understand me and know that it’s coming from a good place. So that’s how our relationship grow, we laugh and joke and it kinda makes, when it’s time to tell her something that she needs to do, a lot easier because we laugh.”

In another segment, Erica Wheeler also revealed how the team just tries to have fun because, at the end of the day, everyone is here for their love of basketball. Given, Caitlin Clark’s fame has its pros and cons for the team. But the 33-year-old at least tries to see it all in a positive light, as she did in a recent defense of her teammate.

After another swipe from Sheryl Swoopes, Erica Wheeler defends Caitlin Clark from the “outside world”

The Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark dynamic has been strange to witness this year for many. But while every player will have their critics, they will also find supporters. Erica Wheeler told the press, “All we do is have fun. With Caitlin Clark, who never takes anything serious, I tell people all the time, ‘She’s really a kid at heart,'” Wheeler said.

In a recent podcast appearance on Gil’s Arena, Swoopes suggested how Clark’s Indiana Fever teammates might be considering changing teams because of the attention the rookie got. While she was purely speculating, Wheeler’s comments in Clark’s defense were enough to put out the fire.

“Majority of the time we’re having fun. You got to understand, the outside world was really trying to get inside this building, we just didn’t let it. Having fun is a great way to kinda keep that out.”

The outside world will always be trying to get in hopes of catching a piece of drama. But as long as the team’s relationship off the court sustains, their chemistry on the court will too. And certainly, the Fever roster is one fun bunch to be around!