Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) celebrates Tuesday, June 3, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aliyah Boston Sums Up Aari McDonald's Fever Impact With One Stat

Originally posted on Indiana Fever on SI
By Robin Lundberg | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 8:20 AM ET

Ever since the Indiana Fever made the swap between DeWanna Bonner and Aari McDonald things have been different, because it turns out the guard originally brought in on a hardship contract has been everything the Fever could have asked for.

This was once again shown through Indiana's dominant win over the Las Vegas Aces Thursday , one that saw a stellar defensive effort spearheaded by McDonald. Though undersized, the team's starting point guard with Caitlin Clark sidelined brings quickness and passion to the position, which has shown up via the infectious defensive energy the squad has put on display lately.

Aari McDonald tonight:

8 PTS
7 REB
7 AST
+26 (!!!) pic.twitter.com/IwK1l9mHwS
— FeverStats (@FeverStats) July 4, 2025

McDonald's contributions of course have not gone on unnoticed. And after the team held Las Vegas to just 54 points one game removed from keeping the Minnesota Lynx to 59, Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston had nothing but praise for her newest teammate.

"We told her in the game we said, we're just thankful for you," Boston said in the post game press conference.

"I just think her impact. You see it. Even just looking at the plus/minus, like +26...Aari's impact whether it's scoring, but it's defending, it's getting us into offense, it's making the right reads, making the right pass. I think she's just been the perfect missing piece for us," she added.

aliyah on aari’s impact:

“we told her after the game, we said.. ‘we’re just thankful for you’. her impact, you see it, even just looking at the plus minus, +26—i just think she’s been the perfect missing piece for us.” pic.twitter.com/XAQ1XoruTq
— delusional cc akgae (@clrkszn) July 4, 2025

The Fever have been riding high and shutting teams down, boasting an undefeated record since coach Stephanie White put McDonald into the starting lineup amid Clark's absence. So, one would be hard pressed to argue with a word that Boston said.

This article first appeared on Indiana Fever on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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