The past few weeks have been rough for the Indiana Fever. It all started on May 26, when the organization announced that Caitlin Clark would miss the next two weeks due to a left quadriceps injury. That marked the beginning of “life without Caitlin Clark.” By the time the Fever played their third game without Clark, they had also lost two more guards in Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham. Fortunately, there’s light at the end of the tunnel for the Fever fans. Colson has returned, Clark gave an encouraging update, and now there’s promising news about Sophie Cunningham as well.

The Fever have started the new season with a 3-4 record, not exactly what you’d expect from a team with championship hopes. Much of this inconsistency comes down to missing key players like Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. Cunningham has been battling an ankle injury since the preseason. She sat out the season opener and missed the May 20 game against the Atlanta Dream. Then on May 30, against the Sun, she suffered a more serious sprain to the same ankle. These injuries have clearly affected the Fever momentum this season. But good news is on the way.

According to Chloe Peterson, Sophie Cunningham practiced today for the first time since her injury last week against the Connecticut Sun. An injury update was given by the assistant coach, Austin Kelly, who said, “She was able to get in limited reps today, still trying to work her way back … make sure she doesn’t have any setbacks”

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Cunningham will be back for the June 7 game against the Chicago Sky, but it’s definitely a positive sign. It suggests she could be on the path to full-time action soon. In her four games with the Fever this season, Cunningham has averaged 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 21.8 minutes per game. If she returns against the Sky, Indiana’s offense will have a much better chance to keep its momentum going while Clark continues her recovery.

With Cunningham and Clark sidelined, their new teammate has stepped up without missing a beat. Yes, we’re talking about Aari McDonald.

In the absence of Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark, Fever get an unlikely hero

The former number. 3 overall pick joined the team through the emergency hardship exception after Indiana was down to less than 10 players with Cunningham, Clark, and Colson all sidelined. But McDonald came ready, and she made an immediate impact from the get-go.

She didn’t just come off the bench, she replaced Sydney Colson as the starter late in to the game. And she delivered. In just 27 minutes, Aari McDonald put up 7 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. A huge impact. Her performance helped the Fever snap a three-game losing streak with an 85–76 win over the Mystics.

It remains to be seen what her future with the Fever will be once both Cunningham and Clark come back. But if Aari McDonald keeps performing like this, the Fever might have a tough decision to make—someone may need to make way for her to stay on the roster full-time. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds.