"Our blessing in disguise": Kelsey Mitchell shares true feelings on $72,414 guard seamlessly filling Caitlin Clark's shoes 

Kelsey Mitchell delivered a passionate response on Aari McDonald's impact for the Indiana Fever in Caitlin Clark's absence. McDonald wasn't in the team's offseason plans. She remained a free agent until Indiana was scrambling for depth at point guard during Clark's quad injury late in May, forcing her to miss five games. Sophie Cunningham's ankle injury made things worse for the Fever's guard depth.

Indiana signed McDonald to a hardship contract. After she impressed everyone, it seemed like it would only be a matter of time until another team picks her up once the Fever are whole. Nevertheless, the Fever got another opportunity with another unfortunate Clark injury.

It was followed by DeWanna Bonner demanding to leave the team, opening the pathway for the Fever to sign Aari McDonald to a permanent deal. After the former Sparks guard's third consecutive double-digit scoring game on Friday against the Wings, Mitchell described McDonald's emergence for the Fever as a "blessing in disguise" amid Caitlin Clark's repeated injury woes.

"This is our blessing in disguise," Mitchell said (via Scott Agness).

She continued:

"Our season was all over the place, obviously, with you know, the people that's on the team, the people that wasn't on the team. Injury, you know, 22 (Caitlin Clark) not being around as much with her injuries and just, you know, it takes a lot for a pro to step up be where her feet is and step in, fill in shoes that not a lot of people expect."

Mitchell lauded McDonald's ability to mesh well with everyone else as the point guard, considering it's a massive position to fill.

---

Fever coming into their own without Caitlin Clark as Kelsey Mitchell and others find their feet

The Indiana Fever's season has not gone as expected. Coming into Caitlin Clark's second season, they were expected to take the 2025 WNBA season by storm. However, there have been questions about their credibility as contenders. Clark's injuries and the lack of execution in the first half of the season had the Fever scrambling.

One of their marquee free agent signings, DeWanna Bonner, leaving the team didn't aid things either. Nevertheless, the Fever have come into their own amid the adversity. Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Aari McDonald have been exceptional in this stretch. Since the All-Star break, Indiana is 4-1, improving to 16-12 on the season.

They are four games above the .500 mark for the first time in a decade. Not many would have seen this coming with how their season started. This run has also allowed the Fever to provide Caitlin Clark time to recover from a right groin injury, her third ailment this season after a left groin and quad issue.

Edited by Arhaan Raje