In a corresponding move with Tuesday afternoon’s announcement of Sophie Cunningham’s season-ending knee injury, the Indiana Fever made another roster move to address the void in the lineup.
With the injury to Cunningham, the team signed veteran guard Shey Peddy to a seven-day hardship contract, while officially releasing guard Kyra Lambert.
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Peddy, a six-year WNBA veteran, most recently appeared with the Los Angeles Sparks, averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 assists over six games on a hardship contract. Prior to her time in Los Angeles, Peddy split her career between the Phoenix Mercury and Washington Mystics, starting her WNBA career in 2019.
Across her six seasons in the WNBA, Peddy has averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 40.2% shooting from the floor, 31.7% from 3-point territory, and 90.1% from the free-throw line.
According to IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson, a Fever spokesperson informed her that the moves made as a result of Cunningham’s injury do not have anything to do with the potential for Caitlin Clark’s return.
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The Peddy signing is solely an attempt by the Fever to fill the void of Cunningham’s veteran impact on the floor as much as possible.
Additionally, the complications regarding the WNBA’s rules on hardship waivers put the franchise in a bind, as the team has two hardship spots at the moment, which are occupied by Odyssey Sims and now Shey Peddy.
Similar to the situation surrounding Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald’s season-ending injuries, Indiana will have to play at least one game without Cunningham before her hardship waiver activates and the team is eligible to sign a third hardship player.
While the Fever’s next game is not until Friday, it will be a heavyweight matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, with tipoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on ION.
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Once the team is allowed to sign a third hardship contract player, their next game on the schedule will not get any easier as the Fever will again play the Lynx from Target Center in Minneapolis on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Indiana Fever ink veteran guard Shey Peddy to hardship contract
