The Indiana Fever have announced the addition of guard Aari McDonald under the WNBA’s emergency hardship exception. This rule allows teams to sign a player immediately when their roster drops below 10 active, game-eligible players.
The Fever dropped to 0-2 without injured star Caitlin Clark on Friday night and saw two more guards go down during their 85-83 loss to the Connecticut Sun, who secured their first win after an 0-5 start.
Clark’s backup, veteran Sydney Colson, suffered a left leg injury in the first quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, while Sophie Cunningham, who had been filling in at point guard, appeared to tweak her right ankle in the fourth quarter. She had already missed the first two Indiana games due to the same issue.
Indiana began the season with an 11-player roster but ended Friday’s game with just eight available players. As Colson and Cunningham are unable to suit up against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, the Fever was eligible to sign players to a seven-day hardship contract as temporary replacements.
Sophie Cunningham suffered another ankle injury (Getty Images)
However, there was some good news for the Fever, as the MRI results for both Colson and Cunningham came back positive, but their availability is still considered “day-to-day,” according to head coach Stephanie White.
Aari McDonald’s career overview
Aari McDonald, now in her fourth WNBA season, has averaged 8.6 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game over her career. Last season, she played for the Los Angeles Sparks, appearing in 26 games and posting 8.7 points per contest.
McDonald was the third overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, where she averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists across 30 games and earned a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team. In 2023, she helped Atlanta return to the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
