Indiana Fever sign Cameron Brink’s ex-teammate to briefly replace Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever announced on Monday that they signed Cameron Brink’s former teammate, Aari McDonald, to replace Caitlin Clark as she recovers from a quadriceps strain. McDonald was the No. 3 pick in 2021. She spent three seasons with the Atlanta Dream and one with the LA Sparks before becoming a free agent in 2024.

McDonald has made 116 league appearances and averages 8.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Indiana signed her to a hardship contract, a special short-term deal that allows WNBA teams to have more than 12 players on their roster.

The Fever were granted the option after Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson joined Clark on the injury list on Friday. McDonald will step in and look to replenish Indiana's backcourt rotation, which has been a big issue since Clark was sidelined.

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The 2024 Rookie of the Year is unlikely to return before the Fever-Dream game on June 10. Meanwhile, Colson and Cunningham could be back sometime this week as Stephanie White shared a positive update on their recovery on Sunday.

“I think we got good news from both of their MRIs, you know as good as a news you can get," White said. "So right now, it's a day-to-day thing. We are looking forward to returning them, returning at some point sooner rather than later."

McDonald is expected to be part of rotation with Colson and Cunningham until Clark recovers. The Arizona alum had a stellar career in college, recording 19.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 3.5 apg in 121 appearances.

Aari McDonald fits the Indiana Fever's defensive style of play

Aari McDonald’s offensive game from college never translated over to the WNBA; however, she is a solid defender. This season, Indiana shifted to a more defensive style of play, which could play right into McDonald’s strengths.

Mere months after her WNBA career was seemingly over, McDonald is ready to return to the court. She is expected to make her debut against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez