Fever fan favorite reveals why she chose Indiana over other teams

The Indiana Fever are back at .500 heading into Friday night’s matchup with the struggling Los Angeles Sparks, but they’ll once again be without Caitlin Clark. Clark is set to miss tonight's contest after suffering a groin injury in the Fever's 94-86 victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night.

That means it’s all hands on deck for Indiana’s backcourt, and one familiar face is ready to step up. Fan favorite Aari McDonald is officially back with the Fever after signing a standard deal earlier this week.

The five-year veteran wasted no time reminding fans why she fits so well in Indiana, and before Friday’s game, she made it clear that she had options, but that Indiana is where she wanted to be.

“There were a couple of other teams interested… in the back of my mind, I just knew this is the place to be,” McDonald told reporters pregame.

Aari McDonald returns to the Fever at the perfect time

McDonald quickly made a strong impression during her initial hardship stint earlier this season. Her energy, defense, and veteran presence stood out, and with Clark sidelined again, McDonald will get another chance to prove her worth in Indiana.

It's safe to say that McDonald made the most of her brief first stint with the Fever earlier this season, averaging 11 points and three assists in three games on a hardship contract.

She brought energy and defensive intensity the team sorely needed at the time, but with the roster getting healthy again, the Fever had no choice but to let McDonald go once her hardship eligibility expired.

Her return comes under very different circumstances. Indiana officially waived veteran forward DeWanna Bonner earlier this week after a rocky, short-lived tenure. Bonner reportedly never felt the fit was right after signing in February, and her minutes and role slowly diminished.

That opened the door for the Fever to bring back McDonald, despite apparent interest from multiple other WNBA teams. In the end, she chose the team that welcomed her with open arms not too long ago.

She rejoins a team riding high after arguably their most complete performance of the season, a 94-86 win over the Storm. Aliyah Boston dropped a career-high 31 points, while Kelsey Mitchell added 26, helping offset a quiet game from Caitlin Clark, who was visibly limited by her groin injury.

That means McDonald will be asked to play a key role again, this time alongside Sydney Colson in the backcourt. With Clark sidelined, the Fever will need every bit of McDonald's energy to keep the momentum going.

Welcome back, Aari. We missed you.

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