How Caitlin Clark has been led by Erica Wheeler by way of her rookie yr

INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark was in the midst of a high-wire act.

The identical ardour that helped reshape the Fever franchise into contenders additionally had her on the point of punishment. Indiana was in its penultimate sport of the common season and Clark was only one technical foul away from triggering an automated suspension.

With technical foul totals resetting earlier than the playoffs, Clark simply wanted to get by way of the sport technical-free and she or he’d be protected. However Clark can also be all the time unafraid to talk her thoughts to officers, establishing a 40-minute tightrope stroll the place one step within the flawed route may show expensive.

Enter the de-escalation crew.

Clark’s teammates, very conscious of the state of affairs, spent the entire sport towards the Wings making certain she didn’t get that seventh technical foul. Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell turned her away from the referees and again upcourt whereas Katie Lou Samuelson sprinted from the bench after a timeout to intercept Clark from pleading her case.

As has been the case all season, although, veteran guard Erica Wheeler was on the heart of all of it, time and time once more. In a single occasion within the first half proven above, Wheeler checked into the sport for Clark, who was feeling notably aggrieved a couple of foul name, and shepherded her to the sideline within the course of.

Later within the fourth quarter with the Fever pulling away, Wheeler grabbed Clark in a bear hug to remind her how shut they had been to the ultimate buzzer and the way a lot they wanted her to get there.

Whereas the sport towards Dallas could have been probably the most obvious instance of the Fever working interference on Clark — and the one which received probably the most social media consideration — it’s not a brand new position for Wheeler. All through the season, she’s been the one to avoid wasting Clark from technical fouls and has completed all of it with a smile.

“Severely, she’s passionate in regards to the sport,” Wheeler stated. “I understand how she is, and I can form of see when she’s taking it a bit additional and I’m already standing up and able to de-escalate it and she or he permits me to. I believe that’s an important piece that individuals don’t notice. Think about if she didn’t enable me to, she’d be much more mad.

“That reveals the respect degree that she has for me that she’ll hearken to me, as a result of there’s moments I’m like, “C! C! C!” and she or he’ll take a look at me and she or he needs to say one thing else and she or he simply doesn’t. It simply reveals how a lot respect she has for me as her vet.”

From the beginning of coaching camp, Wheeler took Clark underneath her wing regardless of realizing full nicely that Clark’s addition to the roster instantly impacted her spot within the rotation probably the most. Coming off the bench is a job she hasn’t beforehand held in her nine-year profession.

Previous to this season, Wheeler had began 209 of the final 238 video games she’d appeared in. She’s solely a handful of years faraway from successful the 2019 WNBA All-Star Recreation MVP.

Even final season, Wheeler began all 40 video games for the Fever, averaged only a tick underneath 10 factors per sport and led the staff in assists. When she signed a two-year contract to return to Indiana in 2023, it seemingly wasn’t completed with the thought of her off-court position ever being extra vital than her on-court one.

However from the second Clark introduced she could be coming into the draft in February, the writing was on the wall for Wheeler. Clark was going to start out and play huge minutes from day one, which meant the incumbent place to begin guard was not.

Many gamers would have pushed again towards having their minutes lower in half by a rookie. Some might need even requested for a commerce and been justified in doing so. Very, only a few would have reacted like Wheeler did.

On the evening of the 2024 WNBA Draft, hundreds, together with Wheeler, attended a watch occasion at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. And when the Fever formally introduced Clark because the No. 1 choose, Wheeler reacted as each different fan did.

Sitting in courtside with teammates Maya Caldwell and Lexie Hull, Wheeler joined the followers in leaping with pleasure earlier than shortly placing on an Indiana Fever Clark jersey and racing to heart court docket to have fun.

“Erica, from the start, knew what it was going to be like when Caitlin received right here,” head coach Christie Sides stated. “She’s simply been somebody who’s actually helped not simply Caitlin however the remainder of the staff. She actually has good data for the gamers throughout video games.

“It’s a complete totally different position for her from final yr and the place she was. So, simply respect her and what she’s doing for our staff.”

Statistically, Wheeler’s manufacturing has dipped dramatically this season. She began the primary two video games of the yr as Mitchell returned from damage, however has been relegated to a reserve position since.

Her minutes had been chopped in half from 26.8 per evening final season to only 13.7 this yr. And because the begin of July, she’s averaging underneath 10 minutes per sport. She’s averaging the fewest factors of her profession and the fewest assists and rebounds since her rookie season.

But it surely’d be onerous to argue towards her impression on the Fever this season, particularly with regards to Clark.

As welcoming as Wheeler appeared publicly to having Clark on the staff, she’s been each bit as responsive behind the scenes as nicely. Even when there weren’t many choices for veteran mentors on a Fever roster with simply three gamers older than 26 on it, Clark may hardly have discovered a greater one in Wheeler.

“I believe she’s someone who understands me nicely,” Clark stated. “She’s all the time there, whether or not the second’s actually good or the second’s not so nice. She’s there to assist me by way of it or have fun it, no matter it’s, good or unhealthy.

“She understands how [the league] goes and [she’s] simply attempting to assist me by way of my rookie season and assist me perceive how the league works, and what to anticipate or what groups are going to do. I believe it’s been a enjoyable journey for the each of us and it actually seems like simply yesterday once we first met and we had been at coaching camp with each other. It’s positively been enjoyable.”

Photograph by Juan Ocampo/NBAE by way of Getty Photographs

In lots of cases, Wheeler is noticeable with out all the time being recognizable. When cameras lower to the bench celebrating after a Clark 3-pointer, Wheeler’s the one dancing up and down the sidelines. When the gamers are being gathered on the sideline throughout a timeout, Wheeler’s the one on the heart doing the speaking.

And when Clark is arguing a name with the officers only a bit too lengthy, it’s Wheeler grabbing her teammate by the arm and guiding her again to the bench to maintain her out of hassle.

For Wheeler, it’s the joking and moments of levity with Clark which are mandatory for the intense moments to hit house.

“I believe folks simply misunderstand her,” Wheeler stated. “She’s the kind that typically it’s important to say what it’s. Whether or not she responds or not, you have to say what it’s. Me as a vet and she or he being a rookie, there’s sure issues I’m not going to let her do whether or not she likes it or not and I believe she appreciates that from me.

“Then, along with her simply being on the court docket, simply attempting to include her in ways in which I do know she’ll obtain it. I by no means attempt to be too critical. I attempt to do it in a joking method so she will obtain it and perceive me and know that it’s coming from a great place. That’s how our relationship grows. We giggle, we joke and it form of makes [the moments] when it’s time to inform her one thing she must do rather a lot simpler as a result of we giggle and joke rather a lot.”

The Fever, with Clark on the helm, are again within the playoffs for the primary time since 2016. This wasn’t only a matter of them sneaking in as a plucky eighth seed, both. Indiana nonetheless enters as an underdog because the No. 6 seed up towards the Connecticut Solar, however one which holds no less than one win over each staff within the league this season apart from the Aces.

And it’s inconceivable to argue that Wheeler didn’t play a job in serving to Indiana get again to the postseason.

This time, although, it had much less to do along with her scoring and playmaking, however, as a substitute, was extra as a consequence of her management and willingness to mentor the Fever’s new rookie star. Her work because the staff’s unofficial Chief Caitlin Calmer this season has been simply as — if no more — vital than her minutes because the staff’s backup guard.

However make no mistake about it: Wheeler has been every little thing the Fever, and Caitlin Clark, have wanted her to be this season, whether or not that has been as a mentor on the observe court docket and within the locker room, or because the teammate able to step in and de-escalate issues at simply the fitting time.