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Indiana Fever’s Replacement for Caitlin Clark Sends Strong Message on Sunday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 8, 2025 6:02 PM ET

Aari McDonald has taken a unique path in her professional basketball career. After a standout collegiate run for Washington Huskies and then Arizona Wildcats, McDonald was selected third overall in the 2021 WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dream. Over three seasons in Atlanta, she appeared in 90 games and started 19 of them.

Following her stint in Atlanta, McDonald spent one season with the Los Angeles Sparks. However, she was released on April 15 before the start of the 2025 season. It wasn’t until Monday that McDonald found her next opportunity, signing with the Indiana Fever.

The Fever made the move due to a wave of injuries, including to star guard Caitlin Clark and veteran Sophie Cunningham. McDonald was brought in under the emergency hardship exception, which allows WNBA teams to temporarily exceed roster limits when they have fewer than 10 healthy players. Once the team returns to 10 or more healthy players, it must either sign the temporary player to a standard contract or release her.

McDonald appears fully aware of the fragile nature of her contract, posting on social media:

"God’s Plan > My Plan."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aari McDonald (@aarimcdonald)

Since joining the Fever, McDonald has played in two games, averaging 26 minutes per contest. She scored seven points in her debut and followed that with a 12-point performance in a 79-52 win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday.

The biggest question for Indiana now is the status of Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star, now in her second WNBA season, has missed four straight games due to injury. The team originally said Clark would miss four games, but there’s been speculation she could miss additional time.

Clark last played on May 24 against the New York Liberty, logging 37 minutes and scoring 18 points. So far this season, she has appeared in only four games.

Cunningham also remains sidelined with a left ankle injury. Her last appearance came on May 30 against Connecticut, where she played 27 minutes and scored 10 points.

With key players sidelined, McDonald’s contributions have been timely. Whether she sticks around long term depends on the roster’s health and the Fever’s willingness to commit to her beyond the short-term contract.

The Fever visit the Atlanta Dream at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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