"She was watching film on the plane" - Fever coach Stephanie White highly impressed with Aari McDonald the "point guard" 

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White was highly impressed with their newly signed point guard, Aari McDonald. She said the former Arizona star is what they need at the moment as they continue to deal with an injury-hit backcourt.

McDonald, who the Fever signed on Monday via an emergency exception, played her first game and had an instant impact. She played 28 minutes and finished with seven points, five assists, three steals and a rebound as the Fever defeated the Washington Mystics at home on Tuesday, 85-76.

Following the game, the Indiana coach highlighted McDonald's impactful play in her first game in a Fever uniform. She cited the player's solid "point guard' sense, which they could truly use.

White told the media:

"It’s not hard when you want the job…the thing about point guards is she’s got that mindset, she was watching film on the plane here…not everybody can do that. That’s a point guard mindset, a point guy mentality…she’s hungry, and more importantly she knows how to play."

Under the emergency hardship exception, teams are allowed to sign a player immediately if they have less than 10 game-eligible players on hand at any point in time in the season. The Fever are still without Caitlin Clark (quad strain) and Sophie Cunningham (ankle) because of injuries.

Meanwhile, the win over the Mystics halted a three-game slide for the Fever, who currently sport a 3-4 record. Kelsey Micthell led the way for the team in the win, finishing with 24 points. Lexie Hull had 14 points while Aliyah Boston had 10.

Indiana next plays on Saturday on the road against the Chicago Sky.

Aari McDonald says she is in "survival mode," looking to do well with Fever

Aari McDonald admits she is in "survival mode" and wants to stay in the WNBA. The No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft from Arizona looks to do well with the Indiana Fever and help the team in its ongoing campaign.

The team was trying to shore up its backcourt as it continued to miss the services of guards Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.

In her postgame session with the media, she spoke about how she is approaching her tour of duty for Indiana:

"Survival mode. I'm on survival mode right now. I've gotta eat, you know! This is my job. So, I've just got to be ready. Got to leave it all out on the court, and this is an audition. Either for the Fever or for another team. So just playing my game and being relaxed."

Washington Mystics at Indiana Fever - Source: Getty

McDonald played 26 games last season for the LA Sparks and averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 assists. She re-signed with the team in April but was not part of the final roster.