It's safe to say that Seattle Storm guard Erica Wheeler is a fan of America's fastest-growing sport.

She held the 2nd annual Erica Wheeler Pickleball Tournament on Thursday in Indianapolis, which is hosting the WNBA All-Star Game this weekend.

All proceeds benefited the Wheeler Foundation to support individuals and families impacted by cervical cancer. Wheeler's mother, Melissa, passed away from the disease in July 2012, so the tournament honors her memory.

The WNBA veteran discussed her passion for pickleball in a July 17 article in The Seattle Times.

"I'm serious about my pickleball. I wouldn't say I'm a pro, but I don't mess around," she told reporter Percy Allen. "Pickleball is one of those universal sports. Everybody is into it. You can get people that are 50 years old to 10 years old playing. Not everybody can play basketball. I didn't want to just do a celebrity basketball game. That's typical. I wanted to do someting that's a cool way to interact with fans.

"I remember my first time playing pickleball was against this 70-year-old dude and I'm like, 'I'm about to wax his ass.' No, I got my ass waxed. ... That's why I love it. It's just a different dynamic. No matter your age or if you're some world-class athlete or not, it's just a fun game."

Wheeler will be comepting in the WNBA Skills Challenge on Friday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is familiar territory since she previously spent six seasons as a member of the Indiana Fever over the course of her career.

Back in 2019, Wheeler also became the first player in league history to win All-Star Game MVP as an undrafted player.