Indiana Fever point guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald sustained season-ending injuries Thursday night in a 95-60 road loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
The Fever announced Friday that Colson tore the ACL in her left knee, and McDonald broke a bone in her right foot.
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Since star Caitlin Clark is still sidelined with a right groin issue, Indiana currently has no healthy point guards on its roster.
As a result, the Fever — now 17-14 and fifth in the WNBA standings — will enter Saturday’s game against the Chicago Sky with only nine available players. Once Colson and McDonald officially miss that game, though, the Fever will be eligible to sign a hardship player.
Colson went down late in the first quarter. The 36-year-old veteran leaped to retrieve an offensive rebound near the left wing, and when she came back down to the hardwood, her left leg planted awkwardly. She lost her handle and her balance.
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Fever head coach Stephanie White called a timeout, and the team huddled around Colson. She was eventually helped off the floor.
McDonald’s injury took place in the fourth quarter. She checked out of the game limping, according to the IndyStar, and didn’t return.
Both Colson and McDonald will be sorely missed by a Fever squad that has now dropped back-to-back games following a five-game win streak that was part of an 8-2 surge.
Colson, who won WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023, was averaging only 2.4 points per game this season. That said, her experience at point guard proved critical, especially in Clark’s absences this year. Colson tallied at least four assists in six games, including twice during the Fever’s recent five-game win streak.
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The 26-year-old McDonald, who notably propelled Arizona to an NCAA tournament runner-up finish in 2021, signed an emergency hardship contract with the Fever at the beginning of June. At the time, the Fever were down both Clark and fellow guard Sophie Cunningham. McDonald flashed her potential and seamless fit with the Fever in three games, averaging 11 points, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Indiana brought her back later that month when it waived DeWanna Bonner. That time, the Fever signed McDonald through the remainder of the season.
Since then, she started 13 of the 17 games, posting 9.6 points, 5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. She shot 42.9% from the field and 81.6% from the charity stripe, only committing 2.5 turnovers per outing.
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McDonald scored a season-high 27 points in a July 30 win over the Mercury. Two games later, on Aug. 3 in Seattle, she delivered a season-high nine assists in a victory against the Storm.
Colson and McDonald softened the blow of losing Clark for extended time. Now that all three are sidelined — with Clark’s timeline to return still up in the air — White is in a tough position to find ball-handling down the stretch of the season.
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