The Indiana Fever pulled off a major upset against the Lynx Tuesday night and won the Commissioner's Cup in the process. Aari McDonald, who returned to the team after DeWanna Bonner's departure, was a key piece of the puzzle for Indiana last night — and her loyalty to the team has been repaid literally and figuratively with the team's dominant win.
McDonald initially joined the Fever to provide support after both Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham went down to injury earlier this season. She was forced to depart after both returned, but McDonald didn't turn around and sign with anyone else (and it's safe to assume there were teams that reached out). There were hints that the Fever might have been preparing to bring McDonald back later in the season, but then Bonner's exit provided an easier path back in.
McDonald has been handsomely rewarded for her patience and her loyalty to the team, something that doesn't always happen in the WNBA (or any professional sports league). As we've seen in the last week, players can be dropped or traded with little forewarning, and there have been more than a few signs that upcoming CBA negotiations in the offseason will be tough to navigate.
Aari McDonald was a key player for the Fever last night
The Fever headed into the game knowing McDonald would play a crucial role if they were to win — with Clark out again, the team needed everyone else to step up in a mighty way. McDonald (along with Syd Colson and Natasha Howard) stepped up and did more than what was asked for them, a hallmark of her time with the team so far.
As one of the Fever's best defenders, McDonald has managed to fill in the gap left in Bonner's wake so far, and there's little reason to expect that will change,
The Commissioner's Cup win paid out in more ways than one
Winning the Cup is a big deal for bragging rights and the trophy, of course, but the winning team also gets a hefty payout that can make a huge difference for players who still aren't paid their worth. The total win amoun is $500,000 with another $120,000 in cryptocurrency, and the players on the Fever got a bonus of somewhere between $41,000 and $45,000.
According to Spotrac, McDonald has a base salary of $52,333 this season — the lowest on the team, which makes sense considering she came in once the season had already begun.