“Oh, it’s unbelievable. Like, this is our blessing in disguise… We always tell her we appreciate her because our season was all over the place.” That’s what Kelsey Mitchell shared about Aari McDonald after the Indiana Fever kept their streak alive on a Friday night, notching their fourth straight win with an 88-78 road victory over the Dallas Wings.

But that was three games ago. Since then, the Fever have suffered back-to-back losses to the Phoenix Mercury and the Los Angeles Sparks. While breaking the .500 mark had been a significant milestone, things seem to be unraveling just as the team enters the most crucial stretch of the season, the playoff push!

What happened to Indiana Fever’s “Blessing in Disguise”?

Well, Aari McDonald’s injured, and it all came to a head in the recent game against the Phoenix Mercury, where not only did Indiana fall in a crushing 95–60 defeat, but the team also suffered injury scares to three key players in one night—a huge blow with major postseason implications. And while each injury stings, none hurts more than Aari McDonald’s.

She exited the game after tallying four points, two rebounds, and three assists in the fourth quarter. Aari was seen heading to the locker room alongside a trainer and did not return. And following the game, Fever head coach Stephanie White confirmed it was a right foot injury. Then? The team boarded a red-eye flight back to Indianapolis immediately after the game. “We’ll get some more evaluation when we get home tomorrow and see where we are,” White shared in a post-game conference.

So yes, it really hurts, but the concern is real as McDonald was Indiana’s only true point guard remaining, with Caitlin Clark already out since July 15 due to a right groin injury. While McDonald initially joined the Fever via the hardship exception after injuries to Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson had left the roster below the league minimum, but her immediate impact, averaging 11.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals on 42.9% shooting and 37.5% from deep in her first three games was enough to fit her at Fever’s roster.

Though she was waived in mid-June after Clark returned, she rejoined the team on a standard contract on June 25 after veteran forward DeWanna Bonner requested and secured her release. Since then, McDonald has been an indispensable part of the Fever rotation, averaging 9.9 points, 4.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game through 17 games (10 starts), while shooting 42.9% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range.

But the worst part is she’s not the only one!

Unfortunately, McDonald wasn’t the only one injured against Phoenix as Sydney also left the game in the first quarter with a non-contact left leg injury. She landed awkwardly on one foot while going up for a rebound, and her knee appeared to buckle before she took a hard fall.

And as she remained on the court in visible pain, Stephanie White called a timeout, and then she was shielded from the crowd with towels as trainers assessed her. Colson was eventually helped off the floor by trainer Todd Champlin and teammate Brianna Turner, putting no weight on her left leg.

And now, there’s no update on either Colson’s or McDonald’s condition. But, Sophie, who also left the court shortly before halftime, raising concerns that she may have re-injured her ankle, fortunately, is fine. She returned and finished the game, adding four second-half points to her team-high 18. Cunningham, acquired from the Mercury in the offseason, was 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from three-point range—just one triple shy of matching her career high.

But, despite her strong performance, the Fever couldn’t find enough support to overcome the loss of their guards. So now, Indiana is staring directly at a point guard crisis, right as the playoff race heats up and just days after the trade deadline has passed. Even with Aliyah Boston stepping up as the offensive anchor—averaging a career-high 15.5 points per game and recording four consecutive double-doubles—the Fever’s offense fundamentally relies on strong guard play to run pick-and-roll sets and generate scoring chances.

So now, without CC, Syd, or McDonald, Indiana will have to dig deep into its bench or lean on players like Chloe Bibby, who, while promising, is not a natural point guard. So, what do you think will happen??