Las Vegas- From undrafted to WNBA All-Star MVP, Erica Wheeler has experienced significant trials throughout her journey to get to the top. Her story is relevant for all ages, inspiring, and a true example of what “Never Give Up” means.
To say that Wheeler’s childhood neighborhood in Miami was “rough,” is a gross understatement. The youngest of three to Melissa Cooper, Wheeler was living in her grandmother's small house with most of her family. Her mother worked long hours and her father had been in prison for most of her childhood. In need of someone to take care of her children, Cooper leaned on her mother to help look after her daughters.
Wheeler loved basketball at a young age and was always outside playing, despite the dangers involved. However, one sunny afternoon as she was shooting, gunshots erupted around her. She was fortunate to duck for cover, but two young people near her were not as lucky and were killed.
Young Wheeler quickly realized that playing ball in the streets was no longer an option for her. She desperately wanted a better life for herself. She also needed to rethink her idea of never wanting to play with girls. She recalls, “At the time, I thought I was the only good girl.” She adopted a new philosophy and started practicing with the older high school girls while she was in middle school. She was rewarded with immediate and significant improvement in her game.
In high school, Wheeler played at Parkway Academy, where she was a standout. She led her team to two state titles, and in the process became one of the top recruits in the state of Florida. Offers from top college basketball programs in the county came flooding in. Erica was honored but was looking for more than just a “basketball factory.” This mindset drew her to Coach Vivian Stringer of Rutgers University. Surprisingly, it was not coach Stringer’s fame as having one the best records in the history of women’s college basketball that attracted Erica. She loved the fact that Coach Stringer genuinely cared more about her personal life, than her on the court basketball life. For Erica, the decision was easy, and she packed her bags and headed off to New Brunswick, New Jersey for the next chapter in her life.
Erica’s freshman year was typical for many 18-year old’s as she adjusted to her new life as a student-athlete. In her sophomore year Erica started to blossom on the court. She was instrumental in her team’s success and was eagerly anticipating her final two years. She hoped that if she continued to improve, she might attract the attention of the WNBA upon her graduation. However, as so often happens, things did not go as planned for Erica.
Unbeknownst to Erica, her mother had been stricken with cervical cancer. One day on campus, Erica received the phone call that changed her life. Her mother was diagnosed with stage four cancer and she needed to return home immediately. It was a devastating time for Wheeler. Her whole world, that great road she was traveling, had been turned upside down. She could not imagine returning to school or even playing basketball. It was then that Coach Stringer, again, played a vital role in her life. The coach reminded Erica of that important promise she had made to her mother a few years earlier. That reminder and the bond between player and coach, was all Erica needed. Erica proudly stood on the stage with her fellow students and graduated from college in 2013.
Although she achieved her goal of graduating from college, Erica’s dream of entering the WNBA appeared out of reach. Erica worked two jobs to make ends meet. However, she could not believe it when she got an offer to play basketball overseas. Was this really happening? She knew what she had to do. She quit both jobs and signed with an agent who arranged for her to play with teams in Brazil, Puerto Rico and Turkey.
Wheeler did well playing with teams overseas. She finally landed a tryout in the WNBA with the Atlanta Dream. In 2015, Wheeler signed her long-awaited contract with a WNBA team. Her joy was short-lived. After only 17 games the Dream released her. However, the New York Liberty picked her up for their playoff run. They did not resign her for the next season. Now that Erica had tasted success, she was not about to give up. To improve her game, she returned overseas and played there the next three years.
In 2016, Erica was invited to training camp with the Indiana Fever. She was offered a contract and signed with them. She has done very well. In 2017, She started in 25 games and led the team in assists and was the second-highest scorer.
In 2019, Wheeler has earned her way to the WNBA All-Star game. She led team A’Ja Wilson’s team to a 129-126 win over team Elena Della-Donne. Wheeler had seven 3-pointers coming off the bench and was named the first undrafted player to become an All-Star MVP. Going into the All-Star game, Wheeler was talking with Indiana Fever teammate Candace Dupree on how she wanted to be “Unforgettable once we play this game." She did that and more. The first person she gave a tribute to was her late mother. Wheeler said, “Just never give up man. ... just keep moving. I use my mom as my motivation. I want to inspire you to never give up.”
What a journey it has been for Erica Wheeler to make it to the top of her profession. There were many times from her youth to the present day where she could have given up. It would have been easy to feel sorry for herself and put her dreams and hopes aside. No one would have found fault with her. But she would not let herself do this. With incredible perseverance and hard work, Erica became a star and a role model for youth everywhere. And not just a role model for sports, but for life, for believing in yourself and for never giving up.
Comment
Comments