The Indiana Fever have turned to Aerial Powers to help fill the gaps created by a growing injury list, including the continued absence of Caitlin Clark. Powers, a former WNBA champion, was signed to a seven-day hardship contract and is set to make her debut against the Minnesota Lynx.
The matchup carries extra intrigue, as Powers‘ history with Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve remains one of the more dramatic storylines in recent league memory.
Powers arrived in Minnesota back in 2021 following two and a half seasons and a title with the Washington Mystics. She quickly became a spark off the bench and eventually earned a starting role. By 2022, she was the team’s leading scorer alongside Sylvia Fowles, averaging 14.4 points per game. But the relationship unraveled a year later.
In her third season with the Lynx, Powers featured in just 20 games and did not start once. Frustrated, she moved on in free agency to the Atlanta Dream before a brief stint with the Golden State Valkyries earlier this summer. After being waived following only two appearances for the expansion franchise, her next stop is Indiana, where she now finds herself reunited with Reeve on the other side of the court.
Tensions between Aerial Powers and Cheryl Reeve
The origins of the tension between Powers and her former coach date back to 2023. After suffering an ankle injury early in the season, Powers was eager to return, but when cleared, she received limited minutes and even multiple games where she never left the bench.
An outspoken presence both on and off the floor, Powers hinted at her unhappiness through social media posts and openly expressed her desire to leave Minnesota. “Couldn’t wait to play for another team,” she tweeted at the time. Her girlfriend also weighed in, criticizing the Lynx organization and suggesting the environment under Reeve had become toxic.
Their awkward history extended beyond the court. During the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game weekend, Powers documented her trip to Phoenix on a livestream. By coincidence, her seatmate on the flight was none other than Cheryl Reeve, who was traveling as coach of Team USA. Reeve switched seats soon after sitting down, an interaction that Powers laughed about on camera, fueling speculation that the relationship was beyond repair.
Now, as fate would have it, the two will meet again when Indiana faces Minnesota. Whether the personal drama resurfaces remains to be seen, but the subplot has added buzz to a game that otherwise might have flown under the radar.
For the Fever, Powers‘ arrival comes at a critical juncture. The team has been hit hard by injuries, leaving them thin in the backcourt and desperate for scoring and veteran presence. Powers, who has averaged double figures in multiple seasons, could provide both.
At the same time, this debut also gives Powers a chance at personal redemption. Once a key figure in Minnesota’s plans, she left feeling sidelined and silenced. Now she returns in opposing colors, eager to show she still belongs at the highest level.
The Indiana Fever tip off against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, and all eyes will not just be on Caitlin Clark‘s recovery timeline, but on whether Aerial Powers and Cheryl Reeve can share the same court without their history spilling over into the present.
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