The whole world had to adapt to COVID. Some of us learned how to bake sourdough, others turned our living rooms into makeshift offices… or WWE arenas. The NCAA responded by granting student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, in a move that felt a bit like Oprah’s famous car giveaway. “You get a 5th year! And you get a 5th year!” And, suddenly, locker rooms across the country were full of graduate students who could run the floor and write thesis statements. Enter Aari McDonald. Already a certified Wildcat legend, she returned to Arizona in 2020-21 for that extra year.
Her bachelor’s was already in the bag by then, and she had just started her master’s. But before she could finish it, the WNBA came calling. The Atlanta Dream selected her as the No. 3 overall pick in April 2021. School was put on hold; the pro dream took over. Still, if there’s one thing we know about Aari, it’s this: she doesn’t leave things unfinished. By 2024, she was ready to complete what she’d started. But resuming things wasn’t that simple. Returning to her old program was no longer an option, and with that, she lost the chance to quietly finish school, without distractions, while focusing on her recovery.
However, Aari made a move that raised enough eyebrows. She enrolled at Arizona State. Yep, on September 24, 2024, she dropped her ASU acceptance letter for a master’s in Applied Behavioral Analysis right on her Instagram story with the caption: “This is what happens when Arizona didn’t finish paying for my masters.” And just in case the Wildcats weren’t already sweating, she added in bold: “I never thought I would switch to the other side.”
Fast forward to now, and while transferring to the enemy may have been a power move, 2025 isn’t giving her much room to breathe. Still, she’s holding her own. With Caitlin Clark sidelined, Aari has stepped up in a big way, and the Indiana Fever are pushing hard for a top-four playoff spot. Add to that an ongoing brutal four-game road trip with the Dallas game done and those against the Storm, Sparks, and Mercury remaining, and you’ve got a serious test of consistency. And yet, in the middle of all this, Aari’s still turning in homework. McDonald posted on X: “Having a 12-page paper due during a 4-game road trip is wild .”
Having a 12 page paper due during a 4 game road trip is wild
— Aari McDonald (@McdonaldAari2) August 2, 2025
You guessed it right, that paper is straight from her ASU grad program. But if anyone knows how to juggle finals and fast breaks, it’s Aari. Back in 2021, she was literally typing papers at Dream training camp with a laptop in hand, mid-practice. “That time (to study) is always carved out,” she once told the Journal-Constitution. “It can get frustrating sometimes, so I take breaks to regroup.” Why all the grind, though? Because she’s got some goals. “Once I get my master’s, I’m going to buy myself something very expensive. I deserve it. It’ll be great.”
Turns out, a lot of W enthusiasts understand her situation too, and here’s what they think:
Aari McDonald Fans in Full Support Mode
The trail of support was 183 comments long, and each one had some questions or tips. One person’s curiosity spiraled straight into a nostalgia trip: “What r u studying? I worked overnight at Motel 6 when I was in grad school and would do my work when it was slow. Which was often. lol. When do you squeeze in school work? Plane? After games? It’s hard!!” Aari McDonald, being the total sweetheart she is, responded with the calm of someone who’s got her life color-coded:
“(I’m in grad school for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). I work on assignments on the plane, bus, before and after games/practices,” she shared. And you better believe it because we’ve got photographic receipts of her grinding through assignments at Dream practices. Another person chimed in with a very relatable meltdown: “me stressing over starting my masters while working ft come sept, meanwhile you’re out here balancing the wnba AND school?! absolute queen behaviour! ” Sure, it’s difficult. However, Aari McDonald is chasing something bigger. She’s set to be the first of her parents’ children to earn a Master’s degree.
And she’s doing it with purpose: “I just hope that I’m inspiring my young nieces and nephews to know that you can do anything you want to. The sky’s the limit,” she once shared. Of course, not every comment was a standing ovation. One person tossed out a hot (and frankly cold) take: “You’re in the WNBA drop out of college.” But Aari McDonald has got the long game on lock, as she once shared, “You might be playing basketball but basketball is not going to last forever. Earning another degree and when I’m done with basketball means, that’s what I’m thinking so far. My education will open so many doors for me and allow me to actually put my degrees to use.”
Then there was the ChatGPT crowd, who couldn’t resist pitching shortcuts. “ChatGpt. Just sayin.” and “They got websites that will do them for you.” At this point, we’re just hoping that ASU isn’t lurking in the comments. That said, not all replies went down that route. Some folks offered actual help: “Which subject? I can offer assistance.” and “What’s the topic and your major? I double majored in Biology and Biochemistry so I can help if the course falls within this criteria,” “What’s your professor’s email I got you.”
Other people got even more creative. They suggested Aari to turn this academic hustle into a full-on team drill: “Make it a group project, could be a team bonding activity .” One even said, “Put some of your teammates to use.. lol. One page per teammate outta do it. Likely won’t be cohesive, but done.” Honestly speaking, if her full-court pass to Sophie Cunningham that turned into an assist against the Wings yesterday is any indication, cohesion might not be a problem after all. But then came the ultimate advice: fans want another Fever teammate to sub in for this assignment. One who hasn’t been suiting up lately thanks to a groin injury.
“Ask CC to write it. I know she’s so bored being not able to play lol but seriously this is amazing and you’re such a role model!” One person added, “CC isn’t doing anything, let her do it.” It’s a fair suggestion, as AariMcDonald subbed in for CC on the court, why not have CC sub in off it? She might just pull it off, too. Aari is holding it all down in her absence with solid numbers: 9.9 PPG, 4.5 assists, 2.1 boards, 1.4 steals, shooting 42.9% from the field and 33.3% from three through 17 games (10 starts).
One person even came up with another way to use Caitlin Clark’s help. “Have Caitlin call your professor for you, easy extension.” Sounds wild, but Aari has already got the admin team in her corner: “The people in my [graduate school] program know I got drafted so they have been communicating with me and being patient. They’re like, ‘We know what you’re doing. Get things done and turn it in when you can,’ so that’s been very helpful with helping me balance both.”
And no matter how messy, late-night, or mid-flight it gets, don’t expect McDonald to quit anytime soon. Hear about her dedication from her former teammate. “Aari works hard. She knows what business she has to handle because she gets it done,” said Courtney Williams back in 2021. “Aari has her head on straight in order to be successful.”
The post Caitlin Clark’s Teammate Wins Fans’ Hearts While Expressing Her ‘4 Games on the Road’ Dilemma appeared first on EssentiallySports.