Indiana Fever Face Season’s Biggest Crisis — Two Guards Out for the Year, Caitlin Clark Still Sidelined, Playoff Hopes Hang in the Balance

The Indiana Fever’s push for a deep playoff run just hit a brutal wall.

On Friday afternoon, the team confirmed that two key rotation guards — Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald — will miss the rest of the 2025 season. Colson tore her left ACL, while McDonald suffered a broken right foot. Both injuries came in Thursday night’s loss to the Orlando Magic, and both are devastating in their timing and impact.

With superstar rookie Caitlin Clark still sidelined after re-aggravating a right groin strain last month, the Fever now have no healthy point guards — a nightmare scenario for any playoff contender, let alone a team currently holding the WNBA’s fifth-best record at 17-14.

The Injuries That Changed Everything

Colson, signed by the Fever this past winter, has been a veteran presence off the bench, averaging 13.5 minutes per game and providing defensive energy and stability in Clark’s absence. At 36, she was in the twilight of her career but remained a respected voice in the locker room and a reliable floor leader.

Her season — and perhaps her WNBA career — ended abruptly when she collapsed in the first quarter Thursday and had to be carried off the court.

McDonald’s loss is equally painful. Signed midseason to a rest-of-year deal, the 26-year-old guard quickly became a spark plug for Indiana’s offense, averaging 9.8 points and 4.7 assists while delivering several standout performances, including a 27-point explosion against the Phoenix Mercury on July 30.

The Caitlin Clark Factor

Clark’s groin injury was initially seen as a short-term setback. But the re-aggravation last month has kept her out far longer than anticipated, and with the Fever being deliberately cautious about her return ahead of the postseason, the team suddenly finds itself in an unprecedented bind.

Until Clark is back, the Fever will have to navigate without a true floor general — and the next two weeks could define their season.

Down to Nine Players

With Colson and McDonald joining Clark on the injury list, Indiana’s active roster has been reduced to just nine healthy players. Under WNBA rules, the Fever can’t sign hardship replacements until after Saturday’s matchup with the Chicago Sky. That leaves them dangerously thin for at least one more game — a game that could prove pivotal in the playoff standings.

“We’ve been battling adversity all season, but this is another level,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said Friday. “We’ll see what we’re made of in the next stretch. No one’s going to feel sorry for us — we have to adjust and fight.”

Who Can They Get?

With the trade deadline having passed on August 7 — just hours before both Colson and McDonald were injured — Indiana’s only path to reinforcements is through free agency.

Two names immediately stand out:

Odyssey Sims – Recently waived by the Los Angeles Sparks, Sims averaged 9.8 points and 3.5 assists this year, with a strong shooting line of 48.3% from the field and 34.5% from deep. A proven playoff performer, she could step in as a veteran stabilizer for a team in desperate need of ball-handling and scoring.

Chennedy Carter – A high-octane scorer who averaged 17.5 points for the Chicago Sky in her last WNBA season, Carter has the kind of offensive firepower that could keep Indiana afloat while Clark heals. However, she has not played in the league this year, raising questions about conditioning and readiness.

Given the stakes, the Fever are expected to sign two guards immediately once hardship rules allow.

The Playoff Picture

If the postseason started today, Indiana would face the Phoenix Mercury in the first round. While that matchup is winnable on paper, the Mercury’s veteran core — led by Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner — would be a nightmare opponent without a healthy Clark running the Fever’s offense.

More urgently, Indiana can’t afford a late-season slide. The gap between the fifth and eighth seeds is razor-thin, and losing a few winnable games now could drop them into a tougher matchup — or even out of the playoff picture entirely.

The Stakes for Clark

The Fever’s medical staff faces a difficult decision: push Clark to return sooner to stabilize the team’s backcourt or hold her out until she’s 100% to avoid long-term injury risk.

“Caitlin wants to be out there — she’s a competitor,” Sides said. “But we have to balance the short-term need with her career longevity. That’s the challenge.”

Given the physical demands and the spotlight Clark has been under all season, rushing her back could be risky. Yet without her, the Fever’s offense loses its identity, and every opponent knows it.

A Defining Stretch Ahead

Indiana’s next five games — including showdowns against Chicago, Minnesota, and Dallas — will likely determine whether they enter the postseason with momentum or as a struggling, patchwork roster.

For now, the locker room is rallying around the mantra of resilience.

“This is when you find out what kind of team you have,” forward NaLyssa Smith said. “We’re going to scrap, we’re going to defend, and we’re going to play for each other. That’s all we can control.”

Bottom Line

The Fever’s season was supposed to be about building chemistry between Clark and a promising young core, with an eye toward making noise in the playoffs. Now, it’s about survival.

Two key guards are gone for the year, their superstar is still rehabbing, and the team is scrambling for emergency help.

But if there’s one thing this year’s Fever have shown, it’s that they won’t quit — and the WNBA world will be watching to see if they can turn crisis into a rallying cry.