Indiana Fever veteran guard Erica Wheeler working on her free throws at practice.

"She's just like help me": WNBA vet Erica Wheeler takes Caitlin Clark under her wing despite vying for starting spot

Modified Apr 30, 2024 17:11 GMT

Two days into her first WNBA training camp, rookie Caitlin Clark has already formed a bond with her Indiana Fever teammates. Clark's transition into the pro ranks has been going well. Part of the transition is fighting for a spot in the starting lineup.

In a video shared by sports anchor Owen Siebring on X, veteran guard Erica Wheeler was asked during the team's presser about taking rookie Caitlin Clark under her wing while fighting for a starting spot in the Fever's backcourt.

Expand Tweet

"I put as, like, you know, when you're at different school, the first day of school, you don't know anybody. And you find out one person that says hi to you that becomes your best friend," veteran guard Erica Wheeler said. "For me, I just wanted to get ahead of it because I know this transition is tough. Just being undrafted and being a rookie, it's very unlikely a vet, you know, just take you in.

"We got the same position, and I think oftentimes, people forget that I'm a great person before a basketball player. So for me, as a big sister, I'm just like, I'ma take the first step first to just let her [Clark] know like, we here, we got you," Wheeler continued. "Whatever you need from me as your vet, and even in the same position, I got you."

Wheeler also spoke about Clark asking for advice from the veteran guard during training camp.

"She's just been doing a great job. We're just accepting and receiving it from me. Because as you know, she's one of the biggest players in the world right now and she don't act like that. She's just like, "Help me, you know, in any way you can," it's definitely in a sweet way," Clark's teammate Erica Wheeler shared. "There's no ego at all. She's not selfish. You can tell she wanna be here and she wants everybody around. So it's just welcoming to me because she's a high-caliber player."

Veteran teammate Erica Wheeler on Caitlin Clark's stepback three: "Got that boy!"

During day two of training camp, the team's X account shared a clip of rookie Caitlin Clark hitting a contested stepback three-pointer while her teammates cheered on the sidelines.

Expand Tweet

In the clip, Caitlin Clark is seen crossing up on a male defender and then nailing a stepback three.

Erica Wheeler can be heard in the video yelling and clapping her hands after Clark's stepback three.