Tough Blow for the Indiana Fever: Colson and McDonald Out for the Season
The Indiana Fever suffered a setback on Friday with the news that guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald will not be able to play the rest of the 2025 WNBA season due to injuries. Indiana, already without Caitlin Clark, who hasn’t played since injuring her right groin on July 15, now has only nine players available for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky. Colson suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first quarter, while McDonald suffered a fracture in a bone in his right foot during the last quarter, in the loss to Phoenix. With five weeks remaining in the regular season, the Fever have a 17-14 record and are in fifth place in the WNBA standings. The top eight teams advance to the postseason.Impact on Playoff Aspirations
The 2025 season has been a rollercoaster for the Fever, marked by injuries, on-court inconsistency, and the mid-season departure of DeWanna Bonner. This situation represents another blow, perhaps the most devastating. Both Colson and McDonald are very well-liked by their teammates. McDonald was a valuable mid-season addition, providing the base depth the team needed, especially after Clark’s injury, and bringing crucial defensive energy. Colson, with her experience, also brought similar qualities and, most importantly, championship experience to complement the young core of the Fever. Before the recent defeats against the Sparks and the Mercury, the Fever had strung together five consecutive victories. McDonald was key in that streak. Now, Indiana will have to adapt again to find help at the point guard position, even with Clark’s return. It will be a great challenge to find someone with the same impact as McDonald. At their best, and with all their players healthy, the Fever still have a solid core of six key players: Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull, including one of the best trios in the league: Clark, Mitchell, and Boston. However, with doubts about Clark’s health (when she will return and how she will play) and uncertainty about who will back her up, the chances of the Fever going far in the playoffs have been reduced, while teams like the Lynx, Liberty, Mercury, and Storm have made moves that give them more depth heading into the postseason.How Will the Team Adapt?
For now, the responsibility will fall even more on Mitchell, Cunningham, and Hull, the only remaining bases on the team. The Fever could include Hull in the starting five alongside Mitchell, Cunningham, Howard, and Boston, and hope that Mitchell and Cunningham can handle the ball-handling duties in the short term. Indiana will look to incorporate a player out of necessity, but can only do so after another player misses a game. This means that the incorporation of a new player could be for Tuesday’s game against Dallas. As a consolation, the Fever’s schedule is relatively favorable. They will play three consecutive home games against teams at the bottom of the standings (the Chicago Sky, on Tuesday against Dallas and next Friday against Washington) before traveling to Connecticut, which is in last place, in a week.Possible Reinforcements
It’s not ideal to have to incorporate a new player two-thirds of the way through the season, especially a point guard who would be tasked with running the offense. Even less ideal, the Fever are looking to make this move just hours before the trade deadline. But Indiana has no other option at this point. Logical candidates could be free agents Jaylyn Sherrod, who was recently cut by the Liberty to make room for Emma Meesseman, and Grace Berger, the number 7 pick in the 2023 draft for the Fever, who is currently with the Wings on her third seven-day contract, and who must be signed to a contract for the rest of the season or be released, which could favor the Fever. Indiana could also look to sign a more experienced point guard, such as Odyssey Sims or Shey Peddy, who last played in the league for the Sparks last June.When Could Caitlin Clark Return?
Clark has been limited to rehabilitation and individual training and has not yet returned to team activities. Even when that happens, he will presumably need time to recover and play at a 5-on-5 level. Therefore, there is no indication that Clark’s return is imminent.Do these injuries change Clark’s schedule? A few days ago, there wasn’t as much urgency for her return, when Indiana had strung together five consecutive victories. But the team has also insisted that Clark’s long-term health is of paramount importance, so the organization could choose to take advantage of the absence of McDonald and Colson and manage with the available players, including any new additions next week.
