Third time’s a charm, they say. But in basketball, there are no second chances. Yet, the Fever might have just clawed their way through that old saying and replaced Caitlin Clark once again. This time, it feels like they’re trying to replicate what Aari McDonald brought from day one. As Fever HC Stephanie White put it, “it’s a shot in the arm for our team and something that we’ve needed, and she’s answered the call. We’re very fortunate that we were able to get her.”

Well, McDonald earned every bit of that praise. On her Fever debut, Aari McDonald posted seven points, five assists with zero turnovers, and three steals in 27 minutes. She helped snap the team’s three-game losing skid with an 85-76 home win over the Washington Mystics. As McDonald herself said, “When your number is called, you have to be ready to deliver, and I felt like I did just that.” But then, disaster struck. Caitlin Clark’s OG replacement point guard went down for the season with a broken bone in her right foot, while fellow guard Sydney Colson tore her left ACL.

Suddenly, the Fever had no point guards. This led them to urgently sign Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract on Sunday afternoon. The move came right after temporarily playing without a PG against Chicago and still winning 92-70. Surprisingly, though, having a healthy point guard on the floor didn’t spark the magic they were hoping for in the next game. Instead of sealing a 4–0 season sweep of the Wings and extending Dallas’ losing streak to 25, the Fever fell 80-81.

Amidst all of this, Sims’ stat line reflected just two assists, one turnover, and no points in 13 minutes. Considering the margin, it’s hard not to think that just one point from her could have forced OT. From where Kelsey Mitchell, who dropped a game-high 24, might have finished the job. However, let’s not judge Sims yet. After all, it was just her 1st game with the squad. As Sophie Cunningham put it, “that was her first time playing with everyone so I just think everyone’s rhythm was a little bit off. We will be fine but it takes a little bit of time.” Now, Sophie might be willing to let Sims have her time, but that performance may have cost Sims White’s trust.

We can run with that thought, especially knowing White’s belief in “point guards are the ones who get you organized.”So, enter: Kyra Lambert. Yep, the Fever just signed her on a seven-day hardship contract, and she’s never played in the WNBA before. Why then, you ask? It could be because the Fever wanted to safeguard themselves from Sims’ adjustment period lows. And Analyst Rachel DeMita’s first theory for the move somewhat lines up with ours: “Either one, the Fever weren’t so happy with Odyssey Sims’ performance in her first game with the Indiana Fever. I think a lot of fans were underwhelmed. However, Odyssey Sims had a high bar to clear because Aari McDonald, when she came to the Indiana Fever, immediately made an impact and played great right away. Odyssey Sims did not have a great game in that last game whatsoever.”

However, her second theory is the one that made every Fever fan’s stomach drop: “Are they signing her because they know that Caitlin Clark is not going to be returning this season and they’re going to need another point guard for this last stretch of games and going into playoffs?” DeMita added, “We’ll just have to see. It’s only a 7-day contract,” and she “doesn’t have much information to give.” Neither do we, yet. But you can bet we’ll be tracking every twist and turn inside this injury-struck Fever squad. For now, though, let’s set the theories aside to listen to what Stephanie White has to say.

Why did the Fever sign Kyra Lambert to replace Caitlin Clark?

We understand that it’s definitely an interesting move for the Fever to sign a player with multiple ACL injuries in her past to fill in for their own injured roster. Because of that, several questions have been lingering about how she’ll handle the WNBA’s physicality. But Indiana clearly thinks she’s worth a look. “We’ve seen Odyssey [Sims] in this league, and we know what she does. Kyra is a little bit more unfamiliar,” White told Tony East in a YouTube interview. “So trying to find the best positions to put her in.”

On Thursday, they inked guard Kyra Lambert to a seven-day contract. Now, Lambert has played her entire pro career overseas, most recently shining for Olympiacos in Greece, where she helped them win the Greek A1 League title. She did it all while averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 assists per game.

Sure, a seven-day deal isn’t some franchise-shaking risk, but with the Fever at 18-15 and the season winding down, it’s still a big move. So why her, and why now? Stephanie White explained it: “I think number one, her preparation. From the initial phone call that Amber [Cox] and Kelly [Krauskopf] had, to our conversations. She has been watching the team, she’s studying what we’re doing. Studying how we’ve played opponents on both ends. What we’ve done to attack, what we’ve done on the defensive end.”

How often does a player get signed mostly because she’s already dissected the team’s moves? Almost never. That alone makes her Fever debut against the Mystics worth watching. It will be interesting, especially to see if she can carve out minutes and maybe even snag a longer deal before the season ends.