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Indiana Fever Name Michelle Onyiah as Justine Pissott's Replacement
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- Indiana Fever Name Michelle Onyiah as Justine Pissott's Replacement
The Indiana Fever lost rookie Justine Pissott on July 7. The team declined to match the offer sheet she received from the Las Vegas Aces , leading to her exit from the franchise.
Pissott's departure opened up a Player Development roster spot on the team. However, the Fever didn't immediately sign a replacement to fill that opening. Instead, the team waited nearly four weeks to before signing a new player.
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On Friday, the Fever announced that they have signed 6-foot-3 forward Ugonne "Michelle" Onyiah to their remaining Player Development contract, joining second-year guard Bree Hall .
Onyiah went undrafted in 2025 after five years with the University of California, Berkeley. She has yet to play in the WNBA , but she has shown plenty of potential in the other leagues she played in.
Former California forward Ugonne (Michelle) Onyiah during ACC Media Days.Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
During the 2025-26 season with Belgian club Basket Namur Capitale, Onyiah averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. This 2026 campaign, she most recently played for the Charlotte Crown of the newly created Upshot League, in which she put up 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
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The Fever need more depth in the frontcourt, especially with All-Star forward-center Aliyah Boston still dealing with a lingering lower leg injury. Onyiah's addition should help ensure that Indiana has more options in case of further injuries.
For those unaware, Onyiah can participate in all team activities, including practices and travel, as a development player. Nonetheless, she can only be activated up to 12 games.
Why Did the Fever Let Justine Pissott Walk Away?
When Pissott made her debut for the Aces against the Phoenix Mercury on July 11, she exploded for 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep in just 10 minutes. The performance sparked plenty of backlash against the Fever, with many questioning why they let her walk away.
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Fever head coach Stephanie White, however, previously explained that the team couldn't match the Aces' offer to Pissott because doing so would have required waiving another player to open up a roster spot for her.
Rookie Grace VanSlooten and veteran center Damiris Dantas were the likely candidates to be waived if the Fever had chosen to keep Pissott.
"First and foremost, they're great culture players, great culture teammates, they're going to be ready when their number is called," White said about keeping VanSlooten and Dantas.
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"Grace is a young player who I think can really develop into a solid four in this league, DD is a veteran who understands how to stay ready so she doesn't have to get ready, who we can play in certain lineups and certain matchups, who are going to give us great minutes in practice as well, and who are going to help continue to elevate and build and pour into our culture."
Related: Skip Bayless Has Strong Take About Indiana Fever Star Caitlin Clark
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
