Ex-Cal Player Michelle Onyiah Joins WNBA -- Sort Of

Former California women's basketball player Michelle Onyiah this week signed a WNBA developmental contract with the Indiana Fever.

Each WNBA team can put two players on its developmental squad, which is sort of like being on the active roster but not entirely.

Onyiah is not on the Fever’s 12-player active roster, but she can practice with the team, travel with the team and participate in team meetings.

She can be placed on the active roster at any time – typically because of an injury to a teammate – and can play up to 12 regular-season games.

Onyiah had been playing in the UpShoit, which is the WNBA’s version of the NBA’s G-League.

She played in 21 games for the Charlotte Crown and averaged 9.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks.

The other former Cal player in the WNBA, Marta Suarez, is now a member of the Phoenix Comets’ active roster after starting the season on a developmental contract.

Suarez, who played two seasons at Cal before playing her final college season at TCU, has played in 11 games for the Comets this season and is averaging 4.0 points and 1.4 rebounds.

Suarez and Onyiah were teammates on the Golden Bears’ 2024-2025 team that finished with a 25-9 record and played in the NCAA tournament.

Onyiah played at Cal for five seasons, and was a starter in his final season in 2024-2025, averaging 12.4 points and 7.6 rebounds.

The 6-foot-3 Onyiah is appealing to WNBA teams because of her potential as an outstanding athlete with size.

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