The Indiana Fever spent much of the 2025 WNBA season navigating injuries, and few teams were tested more at the guard position.
Second-year superstar Caitlin Clark appeared in just 13 games, yet first-year head coach Stephanie White managed to steady the roster and guide Indiana to a 24-20 record and a playoff run that ended just one win short of the WNBA Finals.
When Clark went down early, the Fever leaned heavily on Aari McDonald.
The 27-year-old guard quickly emerged as a spark plug, winning over fans with her pace, toughness, and shot-making. Her breakout moment came on July 30, when she erupted for a career-high 27 points against the Phoenix Mercury.
That momentum, however, was cut short in August when McDonald suffered a broken foot, joining Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham on the season-ending injury list.
Despite the setback, McDonald turned her strong summer showing into an offseason opportunity, signing with Breeze in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball league. Monday night marked her first competitive action in nearly five months, a moment she clearly had circled.
“Today is my first time playing in almost 5 months,” McDonald posted on X ahead of the opener.
A frightening moment during McDonald’s Unrivaled return
The comeback, however, took an unsettling turn. Breeze defeated Phantom 69-62 behind 24 points from Paige Bueckers, but McDonald logged just six minutes, scoring two points before exiting midway through the third quarter.
After committing an intentional foul, she immediately walked back to the locker room alongside team staff, sparking concern among fans and teammates alike.
The nature of the issue was unclear, and McDonald did not return to the game. Given her recent injury history, and the Fever’s injury-plagued 2025 campaign, it was the last sight supporters wanted to see.
Fortunately, the scare proved to be short-lived. On Tuesday, McDonald reassured fans with a brief but welcome update.
“Had a little scare last night,” McDonald wrote on X. “I’m all good yall.”
Assuming no lingering issues, she is expected back on the floor Friday when Breeze faces Hive at 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV.
The matchup adds another layer of intrigue, as McDonald is set to square off against fellow Fever standout Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 11 points in Hive‘s season-opening loss to Mist.
For McDonald, simply being healthy and back on the court is the biggest victory. After a year defined by resilience in Indiana, avoiding another long-term setback may be just as important as anything she does on the scoreboard this offseason.
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