Indiana Fever May Face Tough Roster Decisions After Aari McDonald Shines in Debut

The gaping holes in the backcourt needed swift action, leading the Fever to sign former Los Angeles Sparks point guard Aari McDonald to an emergency hardship contract.  And though McDonald had just one day to practice with the team, she fit in like a glove––elevating the offense and setting the pace, generating open looks for her teammates, and defensively––in just one game––sliding into the top ten players in the WNBA for offensive fouls drawn in the season thus far.

McDonald’s temporary signing appeared to fill a gap the Fever had been trying to address since before the season even began—a reliable backup point guard capable of running the offense when Clark is off the floor or attempting to play off ball.

But this puts Indiana in a tough spot. Once Cunningham or Clark returns–– and being the Fever have just $43k in cap space left for the season according to HerHoopStats––they will be forced to release McDonald––who is currently signed to a $51k salary––or waive a player on an unprotected contract if they hope to keep her due to the tight salary constraints imposed by the WNBA’s cap space limitations.

Of the current unprotected  players on Indiana’s roster, the most likely to be considered to get cut are Brianna Turner––whose salary is $85k––or Sydney Colson, who is on a $90k unprotected contract. Of the two, Turner has shown the least statistical impact on the team, thus has been relegated to seeing few minutes on the court. Not to mention both she and rookie Makayla Timpson play the same position, with neither having seen much action.

It’s a position no team's coaching staff or front office wants to be in, but in thinking about the Fever’s future success, one that must be considered. 

McDonald knocked it out of the park when she stepped in to pinch hit at the point, and that did not go unnoticed by her teammates and Fever fans alike. With few roster spots and tight salary constraints in the WNBA, the competition is fierce, but McDonald has made a compelling case. Now all eyes are on Indiana’s front office for their next potential move.