“Oh, it’s unbelievable. Like, this is our blessing in disguise… We always tell her we appreciate her because our season was all over the place.” These were the words of Kelsey Mitchell about Aari McDonald. With no Caitlin Clark on the side, coach Stephanie White had signed the former Sparks guard on a 7-day hardship contract earlier in the season, but soon it became clear just how important she was going to be for the side.
“I have continued to be impressed with just how quickly she immersed herself into our team and fit in right away. She’s a student of the game. She studies it. She knew the offenses before she landed. She just has been a great fit for us. I also love her accountability on the floor. She’s a player who takes ownership and has really stepped in and led our team in a really great way,” White said about the guard.
Unfortunately, their last game against the Phoenix Mercury turned into a nightmare. The Fever lost by 35 points to the Mercury. And to make matters worse, both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald went down injured and were later ruled out for the rest of the season. But the Fever bounced back in style against the Chicago Sky, pulling off a strong 92-70 win despite missing three key players.
Stephanie White was especially pleased with the victory. “You did a really, really good job. And that’s something we’re going to have to keep building on, right?… We are resilient, and we are deep. And both of those things let us do things other people might not think we can. Right? We are bigger. We are greater than the me.” This locker room message also prompted Aari to give her own take following the win. She took to X to give her own 4-word message to her teammates. “Great team win tonight!” she said.
Great team win tonight! https://t.co/IAVX9Mq3uc
— Aari McDonald (@McdonaldAari2) August 10, 2025
McDonald first joined the Fever through the hardship exception after injuries to Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson. She wasted no time making an impact, averaging 11 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 42.9% from the field and 37.5% from deep in her first three games. While she was let go when everyone was fit and available, she made a return to the side when DeWanna Bonner decided to join the Mercury.
Since coming back, she’d been nothing short of a game-changer for the Fever. That career-high 27-point explosion against the Mercury last week was all the proof you needed. In her last five games alone, McDonald racked up 70 points, 15 rebounds, and 28 assists, cementing herself as one of the most important players on the team.
Moving forward, the Fever will have to navigate the rest of the season without their spark plug guard. The question is–how much more can Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, who combined for 41 points tonight, carry this team? And of course, just as importantly, who’s stepping in to fill McDonald’s shoes? Let’s explore a few possibilities.
Who can replace Aari McDonald on the Fever side?
It still remains to be seen when Caitlin Clark will come back from her groin injury. It’s been almost a month, and there is still no official update on her return. And now with both Colson and McDonald out injured, the Fever are left with no true point guard. So, who could they possibly go for?
Well, there are a few hardship options the Fever can look into. The first name that comes to mind is that of Bree Hall. The South Carolina Gamecocks guard was drafted by Indiana this year before being waived on May 5. She’s since had a short stint with the Golden State Valkyries, but her familiarity with the Fever’s system could make her a strong candidate for a return.
Another option currently available on the market is Odyssey Sims. The 2019 WNBA All-Star was recently waived by the Sparks after missing several games due to “personal issues.” Before her release, Sims was averaging 9.8 points, 3.5 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals, making her a potential like-for-like replacement for Aari McDonald.
Who do you think would end up replacing the injured players? Do let us know in the comments down below!
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