“She is a true point guard,” is how head coach Stephanie White described the latest addition on the Indiana Fever’s roster. She emphasised on the veteran’s agility and scoring prowess in the absence of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham and added, “So she brings that energy, she brings the ability to dictate.” And rightly so! This 2021 overall third pick in Aari McDonald managed to change the winds in Indiana Fever’s favour as they made a 85-76 comeback against the Washington Mystics.

The Fever faced a tough moment this season with their star, Clark, sidelined by a left quadriceps strain from a recent game against the New York Liberty. With CC, the team’s leading scorer and playmaker, out for a short spell, and Sophie Cunningham also unavailable due to a lingering right ankle injury, Coach White turned to the WNBA’s hardship exception rule to sign Aari McDonald, ensuring the roster met the league’s 10-player minimum.

The Fever was led by Kelsey Mitchell, who dished a total of 24 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists in the match whereas Lexi Hull added 14 points, 6 defensive rebounds, and 4 assists. While the Fever teammates took the reins, one name stood out from the rest. That of Aari McDonald. While fans went into a frenzy each time she attempted a clean defensive steal, Aari wasn’t too happy with her own performance.

Talking to the media after a fantastic showdown against the Mystics, Aari shared her feelings on being able to play in the regular season.  She even discussed her locker room dynamic with other players, who ensured she had a warm welcome within the roster before they stepped on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena. “It felt good tonight to finally get back. Just the team, the players, and the fans, sports- that they all were very welcoming and made sure I had everything to be successful tonight,” Aari revealed in the postgame interview.

McDonald expressed her readiness to deliver in the paint and recalled, “And man the shout out for the win! I mean, when your number’s called, you’ve got to be ready to deliver. And I felt like I did just that. I mean but obviously I’m not satisfied, but grateful we got the win though.” While unsatisfied with her first performance in the Fever’s roster, Aari was focused on the win. She was aware of her purpose in the team and strived to achieve her best on the hardwood.

And though she contributed only 7 points and 1 rebound to the team’s overall scores, Aari did not make the match easy for her opponents. She gave a tough time to the Mystics with her powerful defences and averaged the most number of steals (3) and assists (5) in the team, as she defended Brittney Sykes and Shakira Austin. While her swift flashes on the court were enough to grab eyeballs and set the tongues wagging in her praise, Aari is capable of achieving a lot more for Indiana Fever.

“I’m hungry. I don’t like my person to score on me and it happened a couple times. I mean, it was frustrating but it’s just next play mentality. But, I mean, again I’m in survival mode so I got to be hungry,” Referring to Brittney Sykes who rebounded despite McDonald’s defence in the first quarter, Aari revealed her hunger to prove her defensive prowess on the court and stay in the game. Currently in a survival mode, she is ready to display her skills and talent to be recognised by other pro teams.

This glaring opportunity is a boon in disguise as it will help her carve a spot in one of the existing teams in the W. Needless to say, her debut performance lifted the team from a losing streak and fueled the Fever towards a glorious win. And somewhere down the line, even HC White was aware of her capabilities and leadership qualities before she signed her for an upheaval task.

Stephanie White is all praise for Aari McDonald

“Aari was terrific,” Indiana Fever head coach, Stephanie White is known for blatantly calling out players and the referees. But in a surprising turn of events, White praised the point guard after her debut performance against the Mystics on Tuesday night. White had signed McDonald under the league’s immediate hardship exception rule, where a team is eligible to sign a player in case their roster falls shorter than ten active players.

Praising McDonald’s exceptional performance, White said, “She came in and she was the ultimate point guard. She got us settled when we needed to, five assists, zero turnovers. That’s huge. And not just that, she set the tone on the defensive end. And that was big time for us.” Aari jumped off the bench and defended prominent Mystics players early in the game. This gave Fever a much needed rhythm as she set the defensive pace for the team.

While Sydney Colson returned to the roster after succumbing to a leg injury against the Connecticut Sun, her nose bled on the hardwood and she had to sit out just minutes into the game. This incident led to Aari’s entry on the hardwood within the first quarter and the rest is history. The replacement contract joiner displayed flashes of her defensive prowess against the Mystics, as she averaged 5 assists for the team and grabbed 3 clean steals from the Mystics.

And as Indiana Fever gets their confidence back with their first victory after a tough couple of weeks, it is crucial for the team to stay afloat and keep winning. After all, as coach Stephanie White steers the ship with perfect strategies up her sleeve, the regular season is expected to be a smooth ride for the roster till Clark returns. Well, that’s the least we can hope for.