The Los Angeles Sparks are coming off their best win of the season, a 94-88 victory against the league-leading New York Liberty. They did so short-handed with multiple players being out since the second half of the season resumed. But the Sparks are in line to get help going into their clash against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday as point guard Aari McDonald has been upgraded to probable on the team’s injury report.

Aari McDonald has not played since the second half of the season resumed due to a foot injury. Prior to the Sparks’ Aug. 17 loss to the Chicago Sky, head coach Curt Miller revealed that McDonald had been dealing with the injury all season.

“Aari did not respond in the break to the ankle injury that she has played with almost the entire season and been a warrior through it,” Miller said.

The injury to McDonald led to the Sparks signing veteran point guard Odyssey Sims to a 7-day hardship contract. Sims has made an immediate impact in the meantime and was recently re-signed to her third 7-day contract with the Sparks.

But McDonald’s pending return to the court brings an added boost to the Sparks’ lineup. Sims has since taken over as the team’s starting point guard. It will be interesting to see if that continues and McDonald returns to the bench for the Sparks remaining nine games.

Aari McDonald having strong season for the Sparks

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The Sparks acquired Aari McDonald in an offseason sign and trade with the Dream that sent Jordin Canada to Atlanta. It seems fitting that McDonald is set to make her return to the lineup against her former team.

The Dream selected McDonald with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. After two solid seasons with the Dream, a shoulder injury cut her 2023 season short. But this season, she’s bounced back and has emerged as the Sparks’ starting point guard.

Before the Olympic break, McDonald had appeared in 24 games for the Sparks, including ten starts, in a little over 23 minutes per game. She had been averaging 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 40.6 percent shooting from the field, 31.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 84.3 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Following the Sparks’ last game before the Olympic break against the Seattle Storm on July 16, Miller spoke glowingly about the impact McDonald was having in her first season with the team.

“She gives everything she’s got to us. I love her, I love her demeanor, I love her as a person, she’s an incredible teammate. She’s incredible in the locker room and adds a lot to our culture which is important in a build,” Miller said. “She’s just looking for an opportunity that she hasn’t always had and she has a bigger role for us.”