“Blessing In Disguise”: Indiana Fever Star Praises Unsung Hero in Caitlin Clark's Absence

“Blessing In Disguise”: Indiana Fever Star Praises Unsung Hero in Caitlin Clark's Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Indiana Fever kept their streak alive on Friday, notching their fourth straight win with an 88-78 victory over the Dallas Wings on the road.

In a little over a week, Indiana has defeated the Las Vegas Aces (14-13), Chicago Sky (7-20), Phoenix Mercury (16-11) and Dallas (8-21), all without star guard Caitlin Clark, who hasn't played a game since July 15.

Over that span, one standout figure has emerged in Clark's place, 5-foot-6 guard Aari McDonald, who had 15 points, six assists and four rebounds in 29 minutes on Friday.

After the win, Fever All-Star Kelsey Mitchell was asked about McDonald's impact on the team.

"Oh it's unbelievable like, this is our blessing in disguise," Mitchell said. "We always tell her we appreciate her because our season was all over the place, you know, with the people that were on the team, the people that weren't on the team, two-two (Clark) not being around as much with her injuries.

"You know it takes a lot for a pro to step up and be where her feet is and fill in shoes that not a lot of people expect. I think for Aari, she compliments myself and all the other players so well because she just gets it as far as knowing where people are and knowing the chemistry. ... This is a big position to fill, and I think she's doing it unbelievably well."

Aari McDonald: From Hardship Signing to Standard Contract

McDonald’s journey to Indy began on June 2, when Indiana added her under the WNBA’s hardship rule after injuries to Clark, Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson left the roster below the minimum.

In her first three games, she averaged 11.0 points, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals on 42.9% shooting and 37.5% from 3-point range.

Once Clark and Cunningham returned, McDonald was waived in mid-June. Yet within three weeks, veteran forward DeWanna Bonner requested and secured her release, opening a standard contract slot for McDonald on June 25.

Since re-joining the Fever, she’s become an indispensable rotational piece at the point guard position.

Through 17 games (10 starts) this season, she’s averaging 9.9 points, 4.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, shooting 42.9% overall and 33.3% from deep.

How Caitlin Clark’s Injury Has Impacted Indiana's Season

After a quad strain in the preseason, Clark missed five games with a left quad issue and four more with a left groin strain.

On July 15, Clark suffered a right groin injury in the closing seconds of an 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun, forcing her out for what will be at least six consecutive contests.

There is no timetable for her return, as the Fever prioritize her long-term health.

With Clark absent from the lineup, guards McDonald, Cunningham and Lexie Hull have all seen a boost in minutes. More importantly, the Fever have been winning.

In the 15 games without Clark, Indiana has gone 8-7, including the current four-game win streak, and now sits four games above .500, placing the Fever third in the Eastern Conference and fifth in the overall league standings.

However, with the Fever enjoying the longest winning streak in the WNBA right now and the top-seeded New York Liberty (17-10) on a four-game skid themselves, there's real momentum forming in Indiana.

Now just a half game back of the second-place Atlanta Dream (17-11) and 1.5 games back of the Liberty, Indiana has the potential to lock down the best record in the Eastern Conference over the next month, with or without Clark.

Related: WNBA Team in Line for Punishment After Indiana Fever Game

Related: Lexie Hull Shares Honest Take on Playing Without Caitlin Clark

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 2, 2025, where it first appeared.