Indiana Fever On SI

Fever Coach Salutes 'Ultimate Pro' Aari McDonald After Indiana Release

Stephanie White praised Aari McDonald after the Indiana Fever were forced to release her on Friday.
Grant Young|
Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) takes the ball to the basket Tuesday, June 3, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) takes the ball to the basket Tuesday, June 3, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever signed veteran guard Aari McDonald to an emergency hardship exception contract on June 2. They were allowed to do so because three Fever guards (Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson) all suffered injuries at similar times, leaving the Fever barren in the backcourt.

However, the nature of McDonald's contract meant that once these players were able to return, the Fever would have to release her. And on Friday, head coach Stephanie White conveyed that both Cunningham and Clark would be returning to the court during the team's June 14 game against the New York Liberty (Colson has already returned), which meant McDonald had to get cut.

But she won't leave the team without kind words from White, who spoke about McDonald to the media after Friday's Fever practice.

"She's gonna find a spot [on another WNBA team]. I don’t think that’s a debate right now." White said of McDonald, per an X post from Chloe Peterson of IndyStar.

"She has been the ultimate pro. She came in ready to go, she had watched such a large amount of film just in her flight in here that you could tell already, her high IQ. She's a dog, and we're gonna miss her certainly. What she brought to the table for us, and being able to come in at the point guard position, and just really impact us right away, was huge," White added.

"But yeah, she's not gonna have a problem finding a job."

McDonald averaged 11 points and 3 assists per game in three contests with the Fever this season, and endeared herself to Indiana's fan base because of her excellent defense and tenacity on both ends of the floor.

Recommended Reading:

Published | Modified
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

Share on XFollow GrvntYoung
Home/News