With their young franchise centerpiece Caitlin Clark sidelined due to a left quadriceps injury, the Indiana Fever have entered crisis mode.
The team has lost two straight games without their star rookie, and the ripple effect of her absence is being felt far beyond scoring. Now, head coach Stephanie White and the organization have taken urgent action.
On Monday, the team made headlines with a roster addition under the WNBA’s emergency hardship exception, a rule that allows franchises to temporarily sign players when multiple injuries deplete the roster. The name immediately sparked buzz: Aari McDonald.
“The goal would be to get everybody back to their natural positions if we can,” Stephanie White said when asked about navigating the roster shuffling due to injuries. “But at the same time, we can’t control everything, so we’ll get the best player that we can get.”
McDonald’s tenacity could give Indiana a much-needed spark
McDonald was the third overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft and began her pro career with the Atlanta Dream before a brief stint with the Los Angeles Sparks last season.
A household name among college hoops fans, McDonald rose to national prominence at the University of Arizona, where she was named the 2021 Pac-12 Player of the Year and Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Her fiery play during Arizona’s Cinderella run to the NCAA championship game made her a fan favorite.
Her hallmark has always been defensive intensity. While she stands at just 5-foot-6, McDonald‘s quick hands, lateral speed, and relentless ball pressure make her a disruptive force at the point-of-attack. And that’s exactly what Indiana has lacked in Clark‘s absence.
Some were quick to recall the last time McDonald shared the court with Caitlin Clark, a tense moment that went viral across the WNBA world.
“Just make sure she doesn’t run up to guard CC while she’s doing her recovery lol jk jk welcome to the team Aari!” one fan joked.
The comment referenced a heated on-court moment that brought out McDonald’s tenacity and Clark’s fiery competitiveness, a clash that added more fuel to an already buzzing WNBA rivalry landscape.
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