It's been one eventful 2025 WNBA season for the Indiana Fever so far. After a hot start, a slew of injury woes, including to star Caitlin Clark, have slowed the team's momentum way down. The Fever's fortunes began to shift after they claimed their first win without Clark, an 85-76 victory over the Washington Mystics, thanks in part to hardship contract signee Aari McDonald.

McDonald was signed on Monday and made her contributions immediately felt on Tuesday, notching seven points and five assists with a +6 differential when she was on the court in her limited minutes. This feat wasn't lost on head coach Stephanie White, who took the time in the locker room to highlight the former No. 3 pick.

“Aari, hell of a job,” White started, arousing a round of applause from McDonald's teammates. “You were awesome. You came in and you impacted the ball game. You settled us down, you were aggressive, your defense set the tone. Hell of a job.”

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McDonald spent four years in the W before joining the Fever, including three with the Atlanta Dream, who drafted her, and one with the Los Angeles Sparks. The Arizona alum notably helped lead her squad on an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament national championship game in 2021, where the Wildcats heartbreakingly fell to Stanford by one point.

With the confidence boost from their revenge win over the Mystics, the Fever will prepare to take on Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky on June 8, marking the two sides' second meeting this campaign. However, this time they'll play without any potential head-to-head face-offs between Clark and Reese.