Caitlin Clark is coming back.
According to AP reporter Tim Reynolds, Clark is "ready to roll" for Saturday's high-profile matchup with the New York Liberty after missing a handful of games with a left quad strain.
That's good news for the WNBA and for the Indiana Fever, but not for one player.
Aari McDonald gets the short straw here.
The Fever signed McDonald to a hardship contract when Clark and Sophie Cunningham were out. It's a provision allowed by the WNBA to fill roster spots vacated by injury, but it's temporary.
Once players return, the hardship signee has to be released.
On Friday, the Fever announced they were waiving McDonald.
McDonald is a tenacious defender who was really solid in her three games with Indiana, averaging 11 points, 3 assists and 2 steals per game.
The Fever are obviously happy to have Clark back, but McDonald will be hoping the rest of the league was watching her performance.
She was the No. 3 pick in 2021 out of Arizona by the Atlanta Dream, then spent three seasons there before playing 2024 with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Now, McDonald is available again, and she seems to have proven that she can still play.
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