Caitlin Clark’s Ex-Teammate Uncovers Dark Times in WNBA Before Indiana Fever Star’s Debut

When Errica Wheeler said, “You have seen the WNBA from the really, really from the start,” she wasn’t exaggerating. Lexie Brown grew up in the league when bright lights were rare and travel meant cramming into middle seats in coach. She watched her dad coach teams like the Orlando Miracle and the San Antonio Silver Stars—franchises that have taken new names. That’s the league she knew. That’s the childhood Lexie Brown, Dee Brown’s daughter, lived. Long before Caitlin Clark packed arenas and pulled in million-dollar endorsements, players quietly chased the dream with none of the glitz.

And now, it’s all coming out.

For 4 seasons in the early 2000s, Dee Brown got to live his first role as a head coach. He started with Miracle — which was later moved to Connecticut — had a winning record, and eventually moved to San Antonio for 2 more seasons. It may not have been the best stretch of the former NBA star’s career, but for Lexie, who was barely 10 by then, it was “the most amazing thing ever.” 

Players like Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Katie Douglas, and Shannon “Pee Wee” Johnson held the league together with sheer will back then. Brown got to be around them, roam the locker rooms, and get a close look at the stars. For an aspiring hooper in her, it was mesmerizing. But if Brown were to look back at the experience now, it was a far different picture from what the league now has. 

In a recent sit-down on Players TV, Errica joined JT and Lexie Brown for a real conversation about what the WNBA used to be. Lexie didn’t sugarcoat anything. “I got to be with those women up close in person. I was at practices, I was at shoot-arounds… It was like not glamorous at all,” she admitted. 

Back then, players shared hotel rooms, flew commercial, and hustled on and off the court just to get noticed, just to keep the league alive. “It was bad, it was a mess,” Brown adds. No exaggeration. Wheeler, the former Indiana Fever star, goes on to agree how things weren’t much better as recently as 4-5 years ago either. 

Before the league exploded into primetime ratings, newly minted training facilities, and sneaker deal storylines. The WNBA was never a place for perks. Charter flights? Personal lockers? Good luck. Even legends didn’t get treated like ones. “I have not had a locker in my WNBA career,” Candace Parker said on Green back in 2023. “I’ve been in the WNBA for 16 years, and I have not had a locker where it has my name on it and I can leave my s— and then come back and know my s—’s going to be there.”

While the Las Vegas Aces finally opened the first-ever full-fledged practice facility for a WNBA team, it wasn’t a completely standalone space—it also shares space with the Al Davis-Eddie Robinson Leadership Academy. Seattle’s Storm Center for Basketball Performance became the first building constructed solely for a WNBA team. That’s how recent real progress has been.

The Liberty tried to jump ahead of the curve by flying charter, but the league slapped them with a $500,000 fine for violating the CBA. In 2022, reports suggested there was even a word about Liberty’s picks being taken away or the franchise being terminated. Their offense? Giving players a private plane. That was the reality just a few seasons ago.

Brown can’t help but chuckle at the new concerns players now have. “It’s so funny that some players complain about their food… but I’m like okay, we are still athletes. They are not gonna bring us trash.”
She knows what “bad” actually looks like.

And now? “We living the dream,” Brown says and Wheeler nods. The league is pulling in millions of viewers every week. This past season alone, more than a dozen WNBA games have crossed the one million mark. The media rights deal has gone up 6x the previous one. But that isn’t speaking of the player-centric growth like another matter.

Caitlin Clark’s Indiana joins WNBA’s facility revolution

Across the WNBA, a shift is underway — franchises are no longer just hoping to compete on the court; they’re investing off it, too. In just the past year, six teams have launched or announced plans for new training facilities. The Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm have already raised the bar, and now the rest of the league is playing catch-up. Among them, Indiana is making the biggest splash.

The Indiana Fever are investing $78 million in a new Sports Performance Center. It will connect to Gainbridge Fieldhouse through a skybridge. The facility will have two full courts, top-tier strength training areas, and modern recovery spaces. Owner Herb Simon said it shows the team’s strong partnership with the city. With Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston leading the way, the message is clear — Indiana is building for the future.

That future is already on display. The 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend will take place in Indianapolis — just one year after the NBA brought its version to town. For the Fever, it’s a prime opportunity to show off both their rising roster and their off-court commitment. 

Meanwhile, other teams are joining the facility race. The Dallas Wings have announced a $75 million plan to build a new practice center as they transition from Arlington to downtown Dallas by 2026. The Chicago Sky broke ground on their own in October, also aiming for a 2026 opening. This might just be the beginning with the CBA setting in soon.