Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) looks at Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) after scoring three-points on Thursday, July 24, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arizona's Aari McDonald Making an Impact in the WNBA

Originally posted on Arizona Wildcats on SI
By Troy Hutchison | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The history of Arizona women’s basketball isn’t near the success that UA fans have seen with men’s basketball with their 39 NCAA Tournament appearances, 21 Sweet Sixteens, 11 Elite Eights, four Final Fours and one National Title.

However, the success of the program all changed when then-head coach Adia Barnes managed to get things going in the right direction and eventually landed them on the biggest stage in the 2021 national title game where the Wildcats fell 54-53 against Stanford.

Not only was Barnes a massive part of turning things around but so was star guard Aari McDonald, who followed her coach from Washington to Tucson and helped build a tough physical program.

While in Tucson, McDonald finished with averaging 21.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 4.2 APG while shooting 44% from the field in 93 games in her three years with the program.

In three years with the program, McDonald finished with 2,041 points (No. 3), 386 assists (No. 10) and 235 steals (No. 7) making her arguably the best player in the history of Arizona women’s basketball.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Now, she is playing for the Indiana Fever and was signed in the middle of the season with the team currently sitting at 13-12 as they have dealt with multiple injuries this season.

McDonald has played in 14 games this season where she is averaging 8.3 PPG, 4.4 APG and 2.1 RPG while shooting 40% from the field and 26% from the 3-point line.

In the Fever’s past game, McDonald scored nine points while collecting four assists, two rebounds and two steals in 22 minutes of action. She was able to shoot 75% from the field and went 100% from the 3-point line.

If you are not familiar with the Fever, the team is loaded with talent that is a little banged up at the moment. However, they feature a rising star in the WNBA is Caitlin Clark, who has taken the league by storm and helped raise the popularity of the game on a national stage.

Right now, there are still 19 games left in the WNBA season and the Fever are sitting in sixth in the league and third in the Eastern Conference.

Although the overall record isn’t impressive for the Fever, as the team gets healthier closer to the playoffs, this is a team that can compete for a WNBA Title meaning Arizona fans could see McDonald help her team in the playoffs and play major minutes.

This article first appeared on Arizona Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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