Fever's hardship exemption addition comes up huge in first win sans Caitlin Clark

Her defensive activity led to a fastbreak layup in the first quarter and a nifty assist to DeWanna Bonner on a wraparound pass in the third.

Indiana had lost three in a row and entered Monday with a 2-4 record, including 0-2 without Clark. Its four losses have come by a combined 11 points.

On May 26, the Fever announced that the 2024 Rookie of the Year would be out for at least two weeks with her injury.

The team also lost guards Sophie Cunningham (ankle) and Sydney Colson (leg) to injuries in an 85-83 loss to the Connecticut Sun (1-6) on Friday which put them under 10 players and made them eligible for a hardship exemption.

Head coach Stephanie White described those injuries as "day-to-day" on Monday, and Colson played against the Mystics.

Due to WNBA rules, when the Fever get healthy, they must release McDonald, who certainly deserves to be on a WNBA roster based on the energy she brought Indiana on Monday.

It was the type of performance the Fever (3-4) needed to snap out of their slump. Indiana had high expectations entering the season, including the third-shortest odds to win the WNBA championship, but Clark's injury and the three-game losing streak hampered that momentum.

McDonald's run with the team might not last long, but her impact was clear. For a team that hasn't caught many breaks to start the season, the Fever finally found relief.