Support Pouring In for Indiana Fever Player Amid Personal Struggle originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever are in the middle of a four-game WNBA road trip spanning Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles and Phoenix in less than a week.
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While the Fever prepare to face the Seattle Storm on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, Aari McDonald has more on her plate than just playing basketball.
How Aari McDonald Became an Indiana Fever Fan Favorite
The beloved guard, who originally signed as a short-term replacement for the injured Caitlin Clark, ended up landing a contract for the rest of the season after the Fever waived DeWanna Bonner.
McDonald, 26, has won over Indiana fans in a hurry with her fearless play, indefatigable energy and dogged defensive ability. In 17 games with the Fever (10 starts), she is averaging 9.9 points, 1.4 steals and a career-high 4.5 assists per game.
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Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) yells in excitement during the game against the Phoenix Mercury.Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Just days after dropping a career-high 27 points in a 107-101 home win against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, the reality of life struck when the Fever hit the road and McDonald’s academic pursuits interrupted her downtime.
Plenty of fans could relate to McDonald’s personal struggle. Before long, her mentions were flooded with supportive messages saying “you can do it” and “one page at a time.”
A few responses joked that she should get Clark to help while she remains sidelined with a right groin injury with “no timetable” for a return.
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Other X users enlisted themselves for support, offering to email her professors to ask for an extension and even put pen to paper on her behalf.
McDonald’s Personal Struggle Speaks to Larger WNBA Problem
In the comments, McDonald shared that she is pursuing a graduate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis, but did not specify what school. She finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona in June 2020, vowing “#MastersUpNext.”
A three-time AP All-American, McDonald led the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament championship game the following season and got drafted No. 3 overall by the Atlanta Dream in the 2021 WNBA Draft.
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However, McDonald’s professional basketball career has not followed a linear path. The Fever is her third WNBA team in five seasons, and her 10 starts for Indiana are already more than she got in any of her three seasons in Atlanta.
Thanks to low base salaries and constant roster upheaval, WNBA players face more financial jeopardy than most professional athletes — making a graduate degree a wise move for long-term career stability.
That’s one of the reasons higher salaries were named as the No. 1 priority in CBA negotiations by a wide margin in an anonymous WNBA player poll in July. Resources for players’ families and retirement benefits are also key sticking points.
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McDonald will earn $52,333 total from her pro-rated, rest-of-season contract. In five years in the league, her career earnings add up to a paltry $309,369 — approximately half of the $593,902 LeBron James made per game last NBA season.
Related: Indiana Fever Get Unexpected Help Before Seattle Storm Game
Related: “Getting So Toxic”: Napheesa Collier Says Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Trend is Spreading
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
