Aari McDonald stats tonight: How did Fever rookie perform in absence of Caitlin Clark against LA Sparks (June 26) | 2025 WNBA Season

Indiana Fever fans once again monitored Aari McDonald's stats as the dynamic guard looked to fill the void left by Caitlin Clark on Thursday. Prior to the Fever's matchup with the LA Sparks, Clark was ruled out due to a groin injury, giving McDonald another chance to step up and prove herself as a floor general.

After seeing action in three games for the Fever via an emergency hardship exception, McDonald was signed by the team for the rest of the season, as confirmed in a press release on Wednesday. Heading into the game against the Sparks, the former Arizona Wildcat is averaging 11.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg.

McDonald needed to push herself to the limit to help the team make up for the absence of their star point guard. However, the Fever ended up losing 85-75 to the Sparks, with McDonald putting up 14 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals.

Coming off the bench in this game, McDonald played just under 11 minutes and posted three points, one rebound, and one steal in the first half. As the Fever looked to widen their four-point lead off the halftime break, McDonald became more aggressive, attacking the rim and earning trips to the foul line in the third quarter.

McDonald's stellar play continued to shine through in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when her prolific offense kept the Fever within striking distance. Though McDonald came up big in the clutch, the Sparks' hustle on the offensive glass ultimately sealed the deal as they pulled off the 10-point victory.

Aari McDonald stats: Fever guard tallies career high amid loss to Sparks

Though the Fever absorbed their eighth loss of the season on Thursday, McDonald continued to show why she belonged on the Indiana roster.

In the final three minutes of play, McDonald went to the charity stripe and hit three clutch free throws. This bumped her free throw attempts to 10, which is the most she's had in her young WNBA career.

Indiana Fever v Atlanta Dream - Source: Getty

All in all, McDonald was responsible for the last seven points of the Fever in this game. Aside from these three free throws, the Fever guard got a layup to go and later assisted an Aliyah Boston layup with 1:16 to go.