“I’m hungry,” Aari McDonald had said. “I’m in survival mode so I got to be hungry.” Indiana Fever’s spirit was crushed after their superstar athlete, Caitlin Clark was sidelined owing to a left quad injury. And instead of staying afloat, the team kept sinking into a dark abyss of losses. But after Clark’s backup in Sydney Colson and secondary backup in Sophie Cunningham followed Clark to the bench, head coach Stephanie White was left with no other choice but to turn to the WNBA immediate hardship rule.
She signed Aari McDonald under a replacement contract to revive the dying team. The WNBA’s hardship rule permits teams with fewer than 10 active players to sign temporary replacements. Facing injuries to Clark, Cunningham, and Colson, the Indiana Fever utilized this exception to bring in McDonald.
McDonald, a former No. 3 overall pick, provided an immediate boost, contributing to the team’s 85-76 win over the Washington Mystics. While her contract is temporary, her performance raises questions about potential roster decisions once the injured players return.
Despite fans, reporters, and analysts praising White for a smart pick and quick decision to sign the player before the team’s second match against the Mystics, does Aari have enough hunger to replace THE Caitlin Clark and keep the team on the winning side of the spectrum?
While national analyst Rose Gold-Onwude is happy with Fever signing an efficient point guard in McDonald, she was quick to state that no replacement can come close to Clark whatsoever. “What makes Clark special is that the attention she receives in the pick and roll is what sets everything else up,” Rose reasoned on the latest episode of the Good Follow podcast. “Because defences are in a state of confusion, chaos, and urgency to communicate and get the right read on Caitlin.“
As a point guard that can efficiently read defences, Clark lays the foundation for her roster with quick decision-making abilities and pairs up with forwards like Boston and Mitchell to make successful pick and rolls on the court.”So, what it ends up leaving is space, is opportunities for reads for her teammates to either pick and roll, pick and pop, pick and slip, and flare,” she added. “It’s because of the space that’s created and the the advantage that’s created.” Clark helps her teammates navigate freely in the paint.
Moreover, the 2024 ROTY gives the remaining Fever roster enough chances to either perform successful pick and rolls or pick and pop and flare up shots. She sets the pace for Indiana Fever to dominate. But with her being sidelined for two weeks now, the Fever is struggling to find their rhythm and convert defences. In fact, the team was unable to create ample rebounds against the Washington Mystics and Connecticut Sun.
With only four fast break points over their two games against the Sun and the Mystics, Fever failed to create enough defences, thereby slowing their overall games and resulting in losses. And while Aari McDonald has been a proficient player in her performances with the Sparks, can she bolster the team and set the right rhythm for Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to score in the long run? Well, that remains to be seen.
Stephanie White praises the new point guard on the block
“Aari was terrific,”Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White was elated with Aari McDonald’s recent performance against the Washington Mystics. White had signed unrestricted free agent, McDonald on a replacement contract under the pro league’s immediate hardship exception contract.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Under the contract, McDonald will serve in the Indiana Fever’s roster as long as players Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark are sidelined owing to injuries. While superstar Clark suffered a sprain in the left quadriceps, Cunningham’s playing status was declared out after she succumbed to an ankle injury during the game against Connecticut Sun.
But once the original players make their respective return, Aari will have to say goodbye to the roster. However, it will be painful for the roster to let go of McDonald after her remarkable performance, where she grabbed 3 steals from the Mystics and added 5 assists to the team’s mighty 85-76 comeback against the Mystics on Tuesday.
“She came in and she was the ultimate point guard,” White said after the match.“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.
White was aware of McDonald’s exceptional abilities when she signed her during the exceptional rule on Monday. “She is a true point guard. So, she brings that energy, she brings the ability to dictate,” White had said upon signing the athlete. And what’s more? Maybe Aari is the player that the Fever needed to keep winning this season unless Caitlin Clark picks the reins from where Aari left off and resumes on the hardwood.
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