Injury-Ravaged Fever Sign Guard Aari McDonald Via Hardship Exception

Indiana needs backcourt help—and fast.

Aari McDonald looks on during an exhibition game against the Valkyries. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever have been bitten by the injury bug—losing guards Caitlin Clark, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham in quick succession.

The result: a 2-4 start and three-game losing streak for the league's most popular franchise. However, on Monday the Fever indicated that help is on the way.

Indiana is signing guard Aari McDonald under the WNBA hardship exception, it announced Monday morning. McDonald, 26, has played three years in the league with the Atlanta Dream and one with the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Washington and Arizona product may still be best known for her college career, in which she won three Pac-12 scoring titles and was twice named an All-American.

In 2024 with the Sparks, McDonald averaged 8.7 points, two rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. As a rookie in 2021, she finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.

The Fever are scheduled to host the Washington Mystics Tuesday.

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