Storm clinch playoff berth with comeback win over Valkyries

Storm clinch playoff berth with comeback win over Valkyries

 

With a sardonic smile, Erica Wheeler entered the Storm post-game news conference, followed by a sizable group of family members and friends who stood in the back of the room, filming her every step

Nneka Ogwumike jokingly remarked, "She has about 60 and I have like two people." She rolls deep all over. One thing about her, though, is that the same folks are always there when she rolls deep. People are never different. That, in my opinion, demonstrates a great deal about her character. 

Wheeler demonstrated a lot of her character on the court as she led the Storm to a thrilling 74-73 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night, which secured their postseason berth.

Wheeler made five three-pointers, each one seemingly more significant than the one before it, with the season perhaps on the line. With 19.2 seconds remaining, he made the game-winning disputed pull-up jumper in the lane. 

Wheeler, who finished with five rebounds and 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting, added, "It's not really about me." "We were aware of how crucial this game was to advancing to the postseason. It was a team effort, but yes, that shot won the game. As a team, we completed everything that was required of us.

 

"Even though I took this image last, I'm thankful to be in this situation. They worked as a team. The team always comes first, and I'm doing all in my power to help the team win. It's never truly about me. 

Without Wheeler, who played a game-high 32 minutes off the bench and made a strong closing case in her pursuit of the league's Most Improved Player award, the Storm would not have ended their two-game losing streak and win this game.

Coach Noelle Quinn declared, "Erica is having a career year." It's the threes. It is the defense. Along with protecting Veronica Burton's many belongings, she was also taking care of her body and those hard-to-defend vulnerabilities.

A game like this is defining for her career (and) her year as a player, so she needs to see a huge moment and grab it. We discussed this a few days ago. She has experienced several such situations this year, and that was a big shot and occasion. However, she works hard and is a very skilled shooter, and we and her colleagues have faith in her. It was necessary to have someone step off the bench and give us a jolt.