The Indiana Fever are quite shorthanded.
They were already without Caitlin Clark due to injury, and in their last game, they lost both Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson to injury, as well.
That put them down at only eight healthy players.
In the WNBA, a free agent can be signed to a hardship contract once a team’s roster dips below 10 active players. The hardship signee is then released once the full-roster players get healthy again.
The Fever have used this rule to add a new guard: Aari McDonald.
The 5-foot-8 lefty has played four seasons in the WNBA, averaging 8.6 points and 2.8 assists per game.
She began her college career at Washington before going to Arizona, where she gained many fans in an impressive postseason run.
McDonald’s first three pro seasons were with the Atlanta Dream, who picked her third overall in the 2021 draft. She played for the Los Angeles Sparks in 2024.
Now, McDonald’s task is to just provide some guard stability for the Fever, who could use some perimeter defense and ball handling after their rash of injuries.
Indiana hosts the Mystics on Tuesday night, but then won’t play again until taking on the Sky on Saturday.
The Fever are likely hoping that Cunningham or Colson can be back by then. Clark has already been ruled out for the Sky game.
MORE: Sparks’ Cameron Brink reveals her injury return timeline