New Fever Guard Aari McDonald Cites 'Survival Mode' Mentality for Impact vs Mystics
The Indiana Fever snapped their three-game losing streak on June 3, as they produced an 85-76 win over the Washington Mystics.
There was some clear concern for Fever fans heading into this contest. Not only did Indiana lose to Washington last week, but the squad entered Tuesday's game even more short-handed than they were during their two most recent games.
While Caitlin Clark remains out, the Fever were also without Sophie Cunningham in this contest. These two being injured prompted Indiana to sign Aari McDonald to an emergency hardship exception contract on June 2.
Despite only having been with the team for a day, McDonald was expected to contribute right away — and contribute she did, scoring 7 points, dishing out 5 assists, and securing 3 steals while playing fantastic overall defense in 27 minutes for the team.
McDonald spoke with the media after the game and discussed what went in to her performance.
"Survival mode. I'm in survival mode right now. I've gotta eat, you know!" McDonald said with a smile when asked where that hunger to prove herself comes from, per Scott Agness' YouTube channel.
"This is my job. So I've just got to be ready. Got to leave it all out on the court, and this is an audition. Either for the Fever or for another team. So just playing my game and being relaxed."
A bit later, McDonald added, "For me, on the defensive end, I'm hungry. I don't like my person to score on me. It happened a couple times, and it was frustrating. But just next play mentality. But again, I'm in survival mode, so I got to be hungry. Got to have that hunger, that grit."
Major props to McDonald for being such a difference maker for the Fever, just a few days removed from watching the team from her couch.
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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.
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