A couple weeks after losing draft pick and development player Justine Pissott to the Las Vegas Aces, the Indiana Fever filled their second player development spot. Indiana signed forward Ugonne “Michelle” Onyiah, who joins Bree Hall as the team’s other player development member.
The 6-foot-3 forward played at Cal from 2020-25, where she was a key rotational player for all five years with the Golden Bears, shooting a conference-leading 60.3% from the field as a full-time starter in her final season.
Undrafted in the 2025 WNBA Draft, Onyiah spent a year overseas in Belgium with Basket Namur Capitale, where she averaged 11.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Onyiah signed a rookie-scale contract with the New York Liberty ahead of 2026 training camp, but she missed each of the Liberty’s preseason games because of overseas commitments. Onyiah was ultimately waived by the Liberty ahead of the regular season on May 7.
Onyiah then signed with the newly-formed Upshot League, averaging 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game with the Charlotte Crown.
Onyiah can participate in all team activities, including practices and travel, but she can only be activated for up to 12 games. Onyiah’s salary is $750 per week and a $6,136 bonus whenever she is activated for a game. Onyiah’s salary and bonuses will not count against the Fever’s salary cap.
The Fever (18-10) are back in action Friday night as they travel to face the Portland Fire (11-17) inside the Moda Center at 9 p.m. CT on ION.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Indiana Fever sign Michelle Onyiah to development contract
Reporting by Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Scout Springgate, Hawkeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
