Aari McDonald has been pretty impressive for the Fever this season, especially considering her circumstances. After three seasons with the Atlanta Dream and one with the Los Angeles Sparks, McDonald didn’t make it through the Sparks’ training camp. She got a second chance with the Fever when they signed her on a hardship contract while Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham were both out with injuries.
Once the DeWanna Bonner situation was resolved and a roster spot opened up, the Fever immediately re-signed McDonald. She has played a big part for the team, filling a new role in Clark’s absence.
For her entire WNBA career, McDonald has been a backup, playing around 20 to 25 minutes per game and only starting a handful of games. With Caitlin Clark’s injury woes, the Fever are asking her to take on a bigger role (again) and fill a massive hole in the lineup.
One player cannot replace Caitlin Clark
Asking McDonald to fill in for Clark in the starting lineup, push the pace, and provide consistent scoring and playmaking is a lot. Clark is one of the best guards and playmakers in the WNBA. She spaces the floor, scores in bunches, delivers perfect passes to her teammates, and draws a ton of defensive attention. That is not something one player can make up for, especially not someone who has been a backup for most of her career. So, while Clark is out and McDonald is filling in, the Fever will have to play a different style.
While McDonald is averaging solid scoring numbers and a career-high 4.3 assists per game, the Fever cannot expect her to make up for Clark’s absence. Other players—namely Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Natasha Howard—will have to step up as well.
Defense is the one part of the game in which McDonald can more than make up for Clark’s absence. She is a great perimeter defender.
The Fever miss Clark, but she also needs time to heal
Clark will have to miss the Fever’s upcoming game against the New York Liberty and doesn’t have a timeline to return quite yet. Playing without Clark for such a big part of the season is a tough blow to stomach for the Fever. They are missing her floor spacing, scoring, and passing.
However, rushing Clark back onto the court isn’t the right approach. She needs to be fully healthy to help the team.
While the Fever will face the Liberty short-handed, New York will get Jonquel Jones back from injury. The game will be a tall task for the Fever. So will their upcoming matchups against the Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm.