At least for one game, Las Vegas Aces rookie guard/forward Justine Pissott made the Indiana Fever look really silly for letting her walk from her developmental contract.
In a lopsided Aces home win over the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, Pissott scored 19 points and set a record for most-made 3-pointers in a WNBA debut with five. The Aces just signed her this week to replace Chennedy Carter.
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The Fever desperately needed this kind of production from the frontcourt, and they had it sitting on their bench all season, apparently. While you have to see more from Pissott to cement this as a major Fever flop, her Aces debut just does not bode well for an Indiana front office and coaching staff that needs to add and develop young talent with Caitlin Clark and possibly Kelsey Mitchell contract extensions on the horizon.
Even for right now, the underachieving Fever are struggling with defense and their frontcourt depth; Pissott could have at least helped with the latter. The team chose to hang onto veteran Damiris Dantas and rookie Grace VanSlooten over Pissott in part for what Dantas and VanSlooten bring to the team culture.
This move has already backfired pretty spectacularly for the Fever. It won’t get easier if Pissott balls out against her former team on Sunday night in Vegas.
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If that happens, serious questions need to be asked of Indy’s decision-makers to let a second-round pick walk like this with nothing in return for two players who haven’t even vaguely contributed this season like Pissott has in one game for the Aces.
Have the Fever filled Pissott’s developmental spot yet?
Not yet.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Justine Pissott made Fever look silly for letting her go in Aces debut
