Indiana Fever Fans Face Looming Hardship of Likely Losing Aari McDonald

McDonald, signed as a hardship replacement amid the injuries, has stepped up in every way the Fever could’ve asked for—bringing energy, defense, and pace to the floor when Indiana most desperately needed it. In the two games she has appeared in, McDonald has also carved out her own space in fans’ hearts. She’s been a spark plug showcasing gritty defense and speed in transition while stabilizing the backcourt. And after coming away with twelve points in Saturday's game, she’s shown that she can also be a scoring threat to space out the floor.

But according to Richard Cohen at HerHoopStats, due to WNBA roster rules, McDonald must be released once the Fever return to ten healthy main-roster players. The only road to keeping her is by cutting a current player on an unprotected contract on the roster, then waiting ten days to bring her back on board. There is also the option of waiting until later in the season, when Indiana will have the cap space to add a twelfth player to the roster.

Cutting a current roster player may not be the most strategic move for the Fever right now. Many of the team’s roster was built through free agency this past offseason, and waiving a recent signing could send the wrong message—potentially discouraging future free agents from viewing Indiana as a stable destination. With next season shaping up to be a free agency bonanza—nearly every non-rookie scale player will hit the market in 2026—the Fever would be wise to keep their long-term reputation and flexibility in mind.

There is still the option of bringing in McDonald on a mid-season move, where the Fever will have the cap space to pay her a prorated salary for the remainder of the season. The front office may have already had ideas as to who this roster position would be previous to McDonald’s debut, but may be looking things differently after her seamless transition and impact on the team in her short time with them.

It’s assumed Indiana could be back at a ten main-player roster––having either their guard Sophie Cunningham back from an ankle injury and Clark fully recovered––as soon as their next game on June 10, when the Fever face off against the Atlanta Dream. But losing McDonald will be a blow to those who fell in love with her in these past two games where the team has looked to find the cohesion through injury adversity. She fits—both in Indiana’s system and in its culture.

But hopefully by then, the Fever will have worked out much of the developing chemistry they had been struggling with as a new team, and Clark can step back into the driver's seat––when McDonald is set to be released, or shortly after––and lead the Fever through this next stretch of games, as the front office decides the best path forward.