Fever's Grace VanSlooten Signing Makes Perfect Sense
When the Indiana Fever announced they had waived veteran guard Shatori Walker-Kimbrough on May 21, the first thought for many Fever fans was who would take her place on the team's roster.
Initially, some believed that Indiana's front office would elect to elevate either Bree Hell or Justine Pissott to the team's full roster, as both are on development contracts and are familiar with the team. Or they could sign someone else, either through free agency or by getting someone on a development contract with another team.
Indiana's decision was made on May 22, when they announced that they had signed Grace VanSlooten to a rest-of-season contract.
Grace VanSlooten Checks Multiple Boxes For Fever
While VanSlooten isn't a well-known name, this signing actually makes sense for Indiana. The Seattle Storm drafted her with the No. 39 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and she played four games for them in the regular season, averaging 4.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game before Seattle waived her.
Grace VanSlooten highlights against the fever. Let’s work pic.twitter.com/gnENfywvua
— - (@piratejetbeach) May 22, 2026
Indiana just got a good look at her, as VanSlooten played 18 minutes against the Fever on May 17, scoring 5 points, adding 3 assists, tallying 2 rebounds, and also getting 2 steals and 2 blocks in 18 minutes.
This stat line shows that VanSlooten has a well-rounded game that should suit the Fever. Plus, she can run the floor, which is crucial for Indiana's identity. She also hit on two of three 3-point attempts with the Storm, suggesting she could develop into a floor spacer.
But the reason Indiana fans are most excited about this signing is solely that VanSlooten is a forward. There has been frustration about the lack of frontcourt depth on the team's roster so far this season, especially after Aliyah Boston's injury last week.
we have signed forward Grace VanSlooten 🔥
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 22, 2026
learn more: https://t.co/p8NqBLF24A pic.twitter.com/cINIhWOMKX
The Fever's front office has now made the roster more balanced by waiving a guard in Walker-Kimbrough and bringing in VanSlooten.
It will be interesting to see whether VanSlooten can carve out a role for herself in Indiana, and whether she'll be active against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday night. Given that it will surely take her time to learn Indiana's system, it's hard to imagine that she'll see much time on the court in the near future.
But she's already in game shape after starting the season in Seattle, and Indiana might need her in case of an injury or some other matter. Regardless, VanSlooten has found a home in Indiana through at least the rest of this season.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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