THE Indiana fever turns heads in 2025 WNBA season with a surprising run to the playoff semifinals despite numerous injuries to key players.
Star Guard Caitlin Clark extended time miss due to left quad strain, lingering groin issue, veteran Sophie Cunningham suffered a season-ending torn right knee MCL, and Sydney Colson was lost for the year with a torn ACL, leaving Indiana thin in its backcourt.
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Point guard Aari McDonald also emerged as a valuable contribution before she too was injured.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2). Grace Smith/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
While Fever head coach Stephanie White and the organization hoped to have the team’s stars healthy and ready for 2026, Fever fans received some offseason news from McDonald’s.
Unrivaled, the women’s 3-on-3 basketball league announced that McDonald would be out for the remainder of its season, essentially ending its competitive play until the start of the WNBA campaign.
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McDonald was revealed as a participant in the 2026 Unrivaled season and had been assigned to Breeze BC, but she only played six minutes in her lone game before exiting with a right lower extremity injury and hasn’t seen action since (via ESPN’s Kendra Andrews).
McDonald originally joined the Fever in June on a rocky contract, signed amid the team’s injury crisis. She was released briefly when other players returned, before Indiana re-signed her for the remainder of the season.
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Before last year’s injury, McDonald showed why she mattered to Indiana’s rotation. In 20 games with the Fever, she averaged 9.8 points and 4.7 assists per game and turned in a career-high 27-point performance in late July, helping stabilize the team’s offense while others were sidelined.
McDonald is a free agent heading into the 2026 WNBA offseason, adding uncertainty to her next professional chapter. Fever fans and league observers will be watching her closely as she rehabilitates back to full health.
The WNBA season is scheduled to begin May 8, but ongoing labor negotiations between the league and players’ association have put the season in doubt.
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Related: Indiana Fever Star Caitlin Clark Adds New Skills Ahead of 3rd WNBA Season
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on February 9, 2026, where he first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as Favorite source by clicking here.
