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Just 24 hours after a tough loss to the LA Sparks, Aari McDonald and the Indiana Fever once again suited up, this time to take on the Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings. The Fever (who were at 7-8 heading into the game) looked to get back to .500 as they square off against the Wings (who were at 4-12) inside American Airlines Center.
On Thursday, McDonald came up big for the Fever, hitting clutch shots and injecting much-needed energy from the bench. The former Arizona Wildcat finished with 14 points and two boards, but Indiana went on to lose 85-75 to the Sparks. Still, McDonald would have yet another chance to prove that she belonged on the Fever roster by rising to the occasion in Dallas.
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McDonald ended up playing a key role in the Fever's 94-86 win on Friday. Her final stat line was 13 points, two rebounds, and six assists.
As a testament to her solid play, McDonald earned a starting nod in the showdown against Dallas. She finished the first quarter with five points, one rebound, and two assists. In the second quarter, the Fever guard remained perfect from the field while also helping her teammates get their own scoring opportunities. McDonald's stat line at halftime was nine points on 4-for-4 shooting, one rebound, two assists, and a +11 in the plus-minus column.
McDonald, who played a total of 29:49 in this game, continued to contribute on the offensive end in the second half. Though she went just 2-for-5 in the final 20 minutes of regulation, McDonald dished more dimes to scorers like Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham. Mitchell and McDonald combined for 13 assists in the game as the Fever finished with a whopping 59.3% from the field.
"It doesn't get any better than that": Aari McDonald compliments her teammates' performance during matchup vs Wings
As if to erase any doubts that McDonald would be a key rotation piece of the Fever for the foreseeable future, she received the honor of granting the courtside interview after the first quarter.
In this interview, McDonald had high praise for her teammates.
"I like that we came out with grit, hunger, and that desperation that Coach [Stephanie White] has been talking about," McDonald said. "We're executing on both ends, so it doesn't get any better than that."
Three of McDonald's teammates finished in double figures like her: Kelsey Mitchell (32 points on 11-for-17 shooting), Aliyah Boston (21 points, six rebounds), and Natasha Howard (15 points, 13 rebounds). The Fever's victory in Dallas also gave Stephanie White her 100th win as a head coach.
