Aari McDonald

The front of her jersey may have read “Los Angeles” as she checked in at the three-minute mark of the first quarter. But as one bucket followed another and a new career-high was reached, one could say that Aari McDonald’s performance had “spark” written all over it. Fully within rhythm and in the process of turbocharging her team’s offense, the former 2021 No. 3 pick takes stock of the Fever’s defense, ultimately deciding to test out a pick-and-roll towards the right baseline. Uncovered enough to take her chance, McDonald launches a quick-trigger 3-pointer, connecting on a shot that ultimately fueled both an 11-0 run and a third-quarter lead that the Sparks would maintain for the rest of the game’s duration. Between punishing the Indiana Fever’s decision to go “under” and overwhelming them with her blur-quick speed, McDonald bolstered the second unit, exploding for 21 points (on just nine shots), supporting it with two rebounds, four assists, one steal, and three triples to fuel an entertaining victory on May 28, 2024.