Panic is setting in for the Indiana Fever. Just days after Caitlin Clark suffered an injury on May 26, the team lost Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham in rapid succession-leaving them without a single point guard and just eight active players as the 2025 WNBA season is still in its early phase.
Clark’s injury alone was a massive blow to Indiana. After aggressively building their roster in the offseason to support Clark in a deep playoff run, the team now faces uncertainty, as no recovery timeline has been announced.
Now, the Fever not only has to find a way to replace Clark but also the players meant to back her up. Colson was Clark’s designated backup at point guard, while Cunningham-a shooting guard-filled in behind Colson. With both out, Indiana will have to apply for emergency hardship relief to fill out their roster.
Fever scrambles for emergency replacements
Speaking on the crisis, team president Kelly Krauskopf admitted:
“We are down in numbers, but we are looking to add another player, a replacement player, to help us with our numbers and try to get people healthy-try to get a full roster back together.”
Under WNBA hardship rules, teams can request emergency signings to bring their roster up to 10 active players. While the Fever hasn’t disclosed expected return dates for its three injured players, sources suggest at least two injuries may be long-term.
Once the league grants hardship relief, Indiana will be allowed to sign players to short-term contracts that expire when its injured starters return-ensuring the team maintains a full 10-player roster.
Who can the Fever call up?
The Fever’s first options would likely be players cut during training camp, with Grace Berger emerging as the top choice. However, Berger is currently playing for Ormanspor in Turkey. Another viable candidate is Destanni Henderson, who played for Indiana in 2022 and now competes with Danilo’s Pizza in the Turkish Super League.
A wildcard option is Chennedy Carter, currently playing in Mexico with Adelitas de Chihuahua. However, her history with Clark makes the move controversial. Still, head coach Stephanie White may be willing to take the risk if it means stabilizing the roster at the start of the season.
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