The Indiana Fever have lost Caitlin Clark (quad strain), Sydney Colson (upper leg injury), and Sophie Cunningham (ankle sprain) to injury in recent days. So, provide some relief at the guard position, they’ve signed former Sparks guard Aari McDonald to an emergency hardship contract.
Fever sign former star guard in wake of mounting injuries
Aari McDonald signs a hardship contract with the Indiana Fever after injuries to Caitlin Clark, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham.
Photo by Justin Casterline/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
What Aari McDonald brings to the Fever
Aari McDonald was drafted third overall in the 2021 WNBA Draft and was subsequently named to the All-Rookie Team. She spent three seasons with the Dream before joining the Los Angeles Sparks last season.
Throughout her four-year WNBA career, McDonald has averaged 8.6 points per game, 2.8 assists per game, and 2.0 rebounds per game. Last season, she started 10 games for the Sparks and averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 assists on the year. She was waived by the Sparks last month.
McDonald can space the floor, but she’s not an elite three-point shooter, having shot 32.3% from three in her last four seasons. But, with Clark and Colson both out, the Fever desperately need another ball-handler, and McDonald is a pure point guard.
How the WNBA hardship exception works
The WNBA emergency hardship exception allows any team to sign a player, with immediate effect, if a team drops below 10 game-eligible players at any time. Currently, the Fever are down to 9 active players, though it doesn’t seem like any injuries are long-term.
Fever head coach Stephanie White shared at practice on Sunday that both Cunningham and Colson received good news from their MRIs and are day-to-day, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. White also noted that the team planned to sign the “best available player” via hardship.
“I think best player available at that position who can add value on both sides of the floor,” White said when asked how the Fever will decide who to sign, Chloe Peterson of IndyStar. ”Certainly, we need to have someone who can add value on the defensive end, we’ve gotta have somebody who can navigate and help us get into offense, handle the ball.”
The Fever (2-4) face the Washington Mystics (3-4) on Tuesday.
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