The clock is ticking for the Indiana Fever. Eighteen wins, 14 losses, and just eight games standing between them and the playoffs. They’ll have to do it without Caitlin Clark, and now, without a single healthy point guard on the roster after Aari McDonald went down with a bone injury.
Head coach Stephanie White knows the margin for error is razor-thin. She has outlined her strategy to keep the team in contention, which involves going big, simplifying the offense, and leaning heavily on players willing to step outside their usual roles.
How Will Stephanie White Keep the Fever Competitive Without a True Point Guard?
Caitlin Clark is the de-facto point guard for the Fever. But she sat out her 10th consecutive game on Saturday, Aug. 9, against the Chicago Sky as she continues to recover from a lingering groin injury that she sustained on Jul. 15.
Meanwhile, the Fever’s depth at point guard has been completely wiped out in recent days. Both Sydney Colson and McDonald suffered season-ending injuries during Thursday’s blowout 95-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
McDonald, who had stepped up admirably in Clark’s absence, went down with a broken bone. That left the Fever with no true floor general for the Sky matchup and head coach Stephanie White facing an unprecedented challenge.
While the Fever are eligible to sign an emergency hardship, the process couldn’t be completed in time for Saturday’s contest. White, speaking to reporters pregame, admitted it’s an unusual challenge but one the team is ready to embrace.
“We’ll have to do it by committee, certainly,” she said. “We’ve been using [Aliyah Boston] to initiate offense throughout the course of the season. So, we’ll continue to use her. Sophie [Cunningham] at times this season, particularly early, ran some of the point for us as well. So we’ll utilize her. Kelsey [Mitchell] can initiate offense, too.”
“I think the most important thing is that we aren’t going to be able to do every play in our arsenal,” she continued. “We’ll have to play a big lineup. We’ll have to simplify.”
Steph White on Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald: “I was just broken-hearted for them, they’re two really good people who you hate to see this happen to. They’re an integral part of what we’ve been doing, so I hate it for them.”
Also mentions how they will fill the gap at point: pic.twitter.com/v0mg5QlFMV
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) August 9, 2025
The adjustment worked, at least for one night. Cunningham and Mitchell combined for 42 points in the Fever’s 92-70 win over the Sky, a victory that pushed them one step closer to the upcoming playoffs.
Mitchell has taken on a heavier offensive load, averaging 20.8 points and 5.2 assists over her previous five games. Cunningham has chipped in nearly 13 points per game during the same stretch, proving she can handle additional ball-handling responsibilities when needed.
When Could Caitlin Clark Return to the Lineup?
With Colson and McDonald both sidelined for the year and Clark still rehabbing, Indiana’s backcourt depth has been stripped to the bone. The Fever have fought hard to stay competitive, going 6-4 without Clark, but there’s no hiding the reality: they badly need their star back if they’re going to survive the playoff push.
Officially, there’s still no timetable. White has been clear that the team will take a cautious approach to avoid any setbacks. However, hope bubbled up among fans after forward Natasha Howard, celebrating Saturday’s win, posted a message dedicated to injured teammates that ended with a tantalizing line: “See you soon CC ❤️🔥.” Just three words, but for Fever Nation, it sounded like a countdown.
We will always fighting for each other but we feel this fight is a little different with our girls out the lineup. All the hard work they’ve put in over this season won’t go unnoticed. Win are lose just know we are fighting to the end for Syd,CC & Ari. See you soon CC ❤️🔥 https://t.co/3JtMxgqrjc
— NATASHA HOWARD ⚡️FLASH⚡️ (@THoward_6) August 10, 2025
ESPN’s Holly Rowe, reporting in late July, has shared that the third week of August is a realistic return window. If that holds, Clark could be back just in time for what might be the most important games of the year: a back-to-back against the WNBA-leading Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 22 and 24, with postseason stakes hanging in the balance.
Until then, White’s “by-committee” approach will have to carry the load. The Fever have proven they can win without Clark, but the margin for error is razor-thin with only eight games remaining. To make a real playoff run, they’ll need the face of the franchise back on the floor, and sooner rather than later.
