Aari McDonald might force Fever to make tough Sydney Colson decision

The Indiana Fever came into Tuesday night's game having two major problems: a depleted roster due to a stack of injuries and having to face a team once again that beat them just a week ago.

The team announced Monday that they added guard Aari McDonald via emergency hardship contract to help the Fever put a full lineup on the floor. It paid off quickly for them having defeated the Washington Mystics at home 85-76, snapping a three-game losing streak.

McDonald played last season for the Los Angeles Sparks after having spent her first three years in the league with Atlanta as their 3rd overall pick in 2021. Her presence was felt almost immediately when she filled the rotation.

She is a player that went from not competing at all since last season to participating in one practice on Monday with a brand new team. None of that matter because she quickly answered every question the Fever had about their backup point guard position.

McDonald's impressive performance, however, validated any concerns regarding current backup Sydney Colson. Colson's production has been minimal at a time the team needed to see it the most, absence from Caitlin Clark in the guard position. Despite being in the starting role for the third straight game, Colson is averaging 1.6 points per game.

How can Aari McDonald continue to contribute to the Fever?

Fourth year player Aari McDonald stepped onto the court with her brand new teammates as if she has been there since day one. Her chemistry with each player she was on the floor with was almost instant. McDonald controlled the tempo of the game each of her 27 minutes played.

She drew a charging call against Washington's Brittney Sykes that lit the entire bench on fire including teammates Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, who saluted her efforts.

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"It felt good tonight to finally get back. Grateful we got the win," McDonald said post game.

Head coach Stephanie White made it very clear at practice Monday that McDonald would see playing time in her first game despite having only practiced with the team for one day. She would finish her first game in a Fever uniform with 7 points and 5 assists, but that doesn't tell the full story.

McDonald was solid both offensively and defensively. She forced the Mystics to make uncomfortable decisions leading to her 3 steals.

McDonald made the most of her early opportunity for the Fever making their decisions when Clark returns even more challenging. The "emergency hardship exception" is a short-term contract which allows a team to add help when injuries put them below 10 healthy players.

Technically, when the team's status returns to 10 healthy players, they either have the option to give the hardship player a standard contract or place them on waivers.

With only being allowed to carry 12 players, the team would have to make room should they choose to keep her: which would result in a departure of one member due to cap space issues the team faced going into training camp. Playing the same position, Sydney Colson's spot may be in jeopardy should McDonald continue to perform at this pace.