Caitlin Clark’s Fever teammate the latest to join Unrivaled league

Unrivaled continues to grow. The offseason league that has attracted the attention of WNBA stars and fans around the world debuted in January with six teams, a TNT broadcast deal and 36 players competing for the inaugural championship in Miami, Fla. -- where the six players of Rose Basketball Club won the first title in Unrivaled's young history.

Season two of Unrivaled promises another evolution, with two new teams and 18 new players joining the league -- which pays better salaries than the WNBA. Last month, the league announced Breeze Basketball Club and Hive Basketball Club, as well as a six-player "season-long development pool."

Fans held out hope that expansion would see Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark sign on to join the league, but Clark's continued injury recovery means that viewers will not see her at Unrivaled in 2026. However, Unrivaled's growth means that another of Clark's Indiana teammates will get a chance to show viewers what she is all about.

Aari McDonald joins Unrivaled

As Unrivaled announces its final signings for the 2026 season, the league confirmed Thursday that the last batch would include Aari McDonald, the Fever guard participating in the 3-on-3 league for the first time this winter.

McDonald joins Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell as the Fever's "representatives" at Unrivaled, which holds no official affiliation with the WNBA and serves as a domestic alternative for W players who do not want to play overseas during the offseason.

McDonald, the #3 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft, joined the Fever as a free agent in June and brought stability to an injury-plagued backcourt. In 20 games with Indiana, McDonald averaged 9.8 points and a career-best 4.7 assists while shooting 43 percent from the field. However, McDonald suffered a season-ending injury herself in August, when the former Arizona star sustained a Jones fracture in her right foot during a 95-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

But it appears McDonald will be healthy enough to take part in Unrivaled action between January and March, allowing the lefty to stay stateside after she spent previous offseasons playing in Australia, China and Hungary.

More WNBA news:

• Are the Fever a dirty team? Indiana occupies surprise slot in new study

• Caitlin Clark's teammate reveals how WNBA teams really feel about Fever

• Paige Bueckers' star will shine even brighter amid new venture

• Fever coach makes Kelsey Mitchell plan crystal-clear ahead of WNBA free agency

• Liberty close in on former NBA assistant to replace Sandy Brondello