The Pac-12 has stood out as one of the best women’s basketball leagues in the nation over the last two decades. This being the league’s final season, each month the Star is sharing Pac-12-centered stories of former Arizona players, as well as former and current league coaches. Up this week: Legendary member of Arizona’s Ring of Honor, Dee-Dee Wheeler.
Wheeler, who played point guard for Arizona from 2001-05, was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a three-time all-conference selection. In her senior season, she averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game. She also was first in Pac-10 in field goals (216) and attempts (494) and owned the top spot in total minutes played for three consecutive years while helping the Wildcats to its only Pac-10 championship, with the UA shared with Stanford in 2004.
Wheeler is Arizona’s career steals leader with 304, which is fifth in the Pac and sixth in career steals per game (2.5).
She was drafted by the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, played with the Houston Comets and overseas in Turkey, Bulgaria and France.
Dee-Dee Wheeler, a former UA standout guard who is now oversees interscholastic sports programs for Tucson Unified School District, shares some advice with campers as they prepare for a game of knockout at the “Dee-Dee and Fee School of Rock” basketball clinic in Tucson back in July.
She’s currently director of interscholastics/sports for Tucson Unified School District.
On choosing Arizona and the Pac-10: “It was the West Coast style of play. For me playing AAU ball and playing in a big city such as Chicago, I saw that style of play each and every day. I wanted to have the opportunity to compete and what I considered a different atmosphere under a winning coach (in Arizona’s Joan Bonvicini), a successful coach, not just coach but another guard who was successful in her own career. Also, the opportunity to play for and against those schools that I grew up watching — the USCs, the UCLAs, the Oregons.”
Best of the West to go up against: “In terms of when I knew we started to turn the corner as a team — and we eventually had the longest home winning streak in the nation at that time — the school that came in and broke it, Stanford was the team for us. They were tough, very disciplined, very poised, of course, very talented. And (had) a very knowledgeable and well-known coach (in Tara VanDerveer), but it was Stanford for us.
“(Stanford’s) Nicole Powell (was) very talented. She brought the height and could guard in any position. She created mismatches on the floor, but very scrappy, very tough, determined player, excellent shooter. And intelligent — a very good student of the game. Then eventually, as the years went on my senior year (Stanford’s) Candice Wiggins was a tough player. Those are the two that definitely stood out.
“My career high was against UC Santa Barbara. I believe I scored 35 (editor’s note: she made a UA record-tying seven 3-pointers).
“That was an exciting game with coach (Bonvicini’s) history there but I was just so fired up. My team knew it. They continue to feed me the ball and feed off me.”
Sixth man on court, in the stands: “We owe it all to our fans. At the time it was the second largest crowd when I played from (2001-05) as opposed to what Adia (Barnes, current UA coach) is bringing in now. We just had an exciting bunch.
“My teammates — my sisters, as I call them to this day — we had a lot of talent (especially on that 2004-05 team). We loved playing. We loved playing with each other. We had a lot of teamwork; we shared the ball. You didn’t rely on one or two players, although Polkey (Shawntinice Polk) and I were the faces of the program.
Arizona’s Dee-Dee Wheeler drives the lane during an Arizona win over Washington Feb. 6, 2003. Wheeler scored 25 points that night as the Wildcats defeated No. 20 Washington 79-66.
“Any given day Natalie Jones stepped up big time. Ashley Whisonant, the hometown player Jessica Arnold. We had a lot of talent and depth. To also have this sixth man in terms of our fans, and the talent that we had on our team. I think it was the excitement. And it was a feeling we didn’t want to lose and so it was easy winning at home for us.”
Pac-10 regular season champs: “It was rewarding. We had the best twin towers in the Pac at that time in Danielle Adefeso and Polkey, when we had the luxury of having them both healthy and on the floor at the same time.
“Then changing it up and bringing in a more mobile post player, Shannon Hopson, in our back court was just tremendous. Coach B (Bonvicini) did a good job using the players that she had and one of the things we were able to do was bring in another starting five off the bench and it really helped us that year to go as far as we did. And we wanted it. We wanted it. We were unstoppable at home and on the road.”
On Bonvicini: “If you asked me this 20 years ago, my answer would be different. A coach that was definitely was a guard herself is always hard on the point guard. But asking me this today, Oh my god! It was the best experience, because it taught me so much in terms of the person I am today. The tenacity to never give up. Never quit the hard work. Being a student of the game. She helped me be an extension of her out on the court.
Dee-Dee Wheeler coaching players on the importance of stance while practicing crossovers at the “Dee-Dee and Fee School of Rock” basketball clinic in Tucson on July 10.
“At times I could make a decision that I knew Coach B wanted me to do without looking over to her. She prepared me, she was hard on me because I wasn’t a point guard coming in. I was a shooting guard more of a combo guard because of my height. I had to play the point. (Coach B) along with (assistant coach) Denise Dove Ianello, they really changed my outlook of the game, made me a smarter player, a tremendous leader, many would say, I hope.
“It was rewarding playing for Coach B. She demanded a lot and she got results. And I was lucky enough to lead the team and it was honor for giving me that opportunity.”
McKale Ring of Honor: “It’s an honor to be able to go into the arena and see my name up there (and) share it with my daughter. To see the hard work (that) I put in — just an inner city kid from Chicago.
“I get teary-eyed; it gets me teary-eyed every time. But I’m honored. It’s a great university. I wouldn’t have changed my decision to come here, being recruited by every college in the country. I can just say I’m honored. I’m proud to be a Wildcat and I look forward to many, many years to come being here and being able to be back in my second home.”
