No WNBA team has been plagued by injuries in 2025 than the Indiana Fever, who remain without three of their top four guards. With Caitlin Clark still seemingly far from making a return, the Fever are signing veteran Aerial Powers to a hardship deal.
The Fever gave Powers a seven-day hardship contract on Saturday morning, they announced on social media. Powers could be available as soon as Indiana's Sunday afternoon matchup with the Minnesota Lynx.
we have signed Aerial Powers to a 7-day hardship contract.
welcome to Indy, Aerial 👋
more info: https://t.co/bwl8YyM8Mk pic.twitter.com/qEZ1BjEOKi
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) August 23, 2025
Powers, 31, has been in the league for 10 years. She spent her first three seasons with the Dallas Wings after they selected her fifth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She has since also spent time with the Lynx, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries.
Powers was most recently with the Valkyries, for whom she played two games in June. She took the court for just seven total minutes in the two contests and recorded two points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal. Powers averages 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals per game in her career.
Although not yet acclimated to the Fever's system, Powers is very familiar with Cheryl Reeve and the Lynx. Powers started 31 of her 35 games with Minnesota in 2022, the best season of her career.
Fever add Aerial Powers to hobbled guard rotation
The Fever are not only missing Caitlin Clark, but they will also be without Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham for the remainder of the season. Chloe Bibby, whom Indiana signed in late July, is also currently out with a knee injury.
The injuries forced Stephanie White to insert the recently signed Odyssey Sims into her starting lineup. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have also accepted more ball-handling and facilitating duties.
Once she joins the team, Powers has a decent opportunity to crack White's rotation. The Fever only played nine players in their most recent outing, a 95-90 loss to the Lynx on Friday night, with only eight players receiving more than 10 minutes of playing time. Only one guard, Shey Peddy, was available off the bench.
With such a short turnaround, playing a veteran like Powers might be the Fever's best bet. At worst, Powers should be able to buy enough time to stagger Mitchell, Sims and Lexie Hull. Mitchell and Hull both played over 35 minutes on Friday, with the latter getting just two minutes of rest.
The Fever have eight games remaining in the regular season, starting with a rematch against the Lynx on Sunday. Their 19-17 record currently places them sixth in the WNBA, barely keeping them within playoff reach.
