McDonald Feels at Home in Indiana
June 26, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release
The Indiana Fever hosted the Los Angeles Sparks in their fifth contest in nine days on Thursday, and fell to 7-8 after a 10-point loss, 85-75.
Indiana looked locked-in on the defensive end Thursday, forcing 19 total turnovers - the Fever's highest total this season. They recorded 14 steals, including 11 in the first half. Aliyah Boston notched five takeaways of her own, surpassing her previous career high of four steals.
The intensity on that end dissolved in the second half as Indiana allowed a 35-point fourth quarter to decide the outcome of the game. The Fever offense produced just one 20-point quarter - the third quarter in which they outscored Los Angeles 24-20. Indiana led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but couldn't overcome the burst of offense from the Sparks in the final frame.
The loss marks the third time in the last four games that the Fever have claimed a fourth quarter lead but lost the game.
"It's all about consistency," Sophie Cunningham said. "And we're trying to give each other grace and patience, but at some point you've got to dig in and say enough is enough."
Despite the hiccups and miscues that come with Indiana's recent stretch of schedule and rotational changes with Caitlin Clark sidelined due to injury, the Fever found sturdy sources of production.
"When you've got such a ball dominant player like Caitlin out of the game - who makes everybody's job a lot easier - then you've got to find ways to try to position them to get some easy ones," coach Stephanie White said on Thursday.
Kelsey Mitchell's microwave offense lifted the Fever in the absence of Clark, and Aari McDonald returned to Indy with the same spark of energy she brought in the last stint without Clark. Boston recorded another double-double alongside her five steals, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Mitchell recorded 20 points on 7-for-16 shooting, including 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.
McDonald was a spark off the bench against Los Angeles, notching 14 points and converting seven of her 10 free throws. Her 10 tries from the stripe were a game high as she and Mitchell led the way for Indiana's offense.
"I was confident I was going to come back," McDonald said after her return to the Fever. "...It just felt like it was the place to be...It just really felt like home. So I'm excited to play for this organization, just keep building chemistry and getting better."
Despite the excitement surrounding her return, McDonald wasn't satisfied with Indiana's result on Thursday.
"We let this one slip away from us," McDonald said. "We've got to be more focused and disciplined, especially in the fourth quarter...It just comes down to executing and just guarding our yards and adjusting."
The Fever travel to Dallas for their sixth contest in 11 days, and their first back-to-back of the season. Indiana has just two back-to-backs scheduled, with the second on July 15th and 16th.
"Let's go through the adversity early," Cunningham said. "Let's learn from it...It's not an excuse. Everyone's playing a back to back. Everyone has this kind of rough schedule. For us, we get another opportunity tomorrow, and we've got to capitalize on it."
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