Fever Sidelined: Key Guards Out for Season Amidst Injury Woes
Indiana Faces Uphill Battle with Multiple Players Injured
The Indiana Fever are grappling with a devastating injury crisis, announcing Friday that guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald will miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Both players sustained season-ending injuries during Thursday’s blowout loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
Season-Ending Blows
Sydney Colson suffered a torn left ACL in the first quarter of the game. Aari McDonald experienced a fractured bone in her right foot during the fourth quarter.
The team is already without its highly anticipated rookie, Caitlin Clark, who has been sidelined for all but 13 games this summer due to quad and groin injuries. Clark has not played since mid-July, with no clear timetable for her return.
Depleted Roster Ahead
For Saturday’s matchup against the Chicago Sky, the Fever will have only nine available players, notably lacking any true point guards. League rules prevent them from adding a hardship player until after this weekend’s game. The team’s schedule continues with a home game against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday.
Veteran Presence Lost
Sydney Colson, a two-time WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces, was acquired in free agency to bolster the Fever’s backcourt with her experience. She was averaging 2.4 points and 2.0 assists in 13.5 minutes per game.
Aari McDonald was initially brought in to help fill the void left by Clark’s injuries. She signed a rest-of-season contract in late June. McDonald had started 13 of 20 games for Indiana, contributing 9.8 points, 4.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest.
The Fever, currently fifth in the standings at 17-14, had been on a five-game winning streak before their recent back-to-back losses. Thursday’s 95-60 defeat in Phoenix marked their most lopsided loss of the season.
This string of injuries highlights the challenges faced by teams, especially those with high-profile rookies. In the 2024 WNBA season, teams have faced similar adversity, with the average attendance across the league increasing by over 35% compared to the previous year, indicating growing fan engagement despite player availability issues (Source: WNBA Communications, August 2024).
