The Indiana Fever added depth to their injury-depleted roster by signing 10-year veteran Aerial Powers to a seven-day hardship contract.
Indiana announced the move on August 23 via press release and social media. Powers expressed her excitement on Instagram after reposting the franchise’s announcement.
welcome to Indy, Aerial 👋
more info: t.co/bwl8YyM8Mk
“Pinch me!! So excited!!! Lets goooooo @Indianafever,” Powers posted.
Indiana & Injuries
The Fever started the season with championship aspirations, but have been hampered by injuries throughout. Caitlin Clark has not played since July 15 due to lower leg injuries.
On August 21, the Indy Star reported that Clark tweaked her ankle while working her way back to the lineup. On August 7, Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald suffered season-ending injuries.
Indiana continued to fight, but the injury bug struck again when Sophie Cunningham tore her MCL on August 17. Since then, the team has signed Odyssey Sims, Shey Peddy, and now Powers.
Chloe Bibby, who was originally signed to a hardship contract, missed the August 22 game against the Minnesota Lynx due to injury. The injury to Cunningham allowed the Fever to sign Powers to a hardship contract.
Aerial Powers
This season, Powers played two games with the Golden State Valkyries after signing a hardship contract. She was drafted fifth overall in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Dallas Wings.
The Michigan native spent her first few seasons in Dallas before being traded to the Washington Mystics. Powers was a key contributor in the 2019 Mystics championship run, averaging 7.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game in the playoffs.
Powers played with the Lynx for three seasons (2021-23) with limited playing time due to injury. However, she shot above 30% from three-point range in each season and averaged double figures in scoring during her first two seasons with the team.
In 2024, the 6-foot guard played 17 games with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 8.6 points and 17.9 minutes per game. When healthy, Powers was productive, but lingering injuries kept her out of the rotation.
Powers’ career averages are 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. She will provide Indiana with needed wing depth and a player who can disrupt opponents on the defensive end while spacing the floor with her shooting.
Similar to Cunningham, Powers is a physical player who can energize her teammates.
The Fever’s Playoff Push
Although the Fever are missing four players due to injury, they have gone 5-5 in their last ten games. Despite losing to the Lynx 95-90 on August 22, the teams will face each other again on August 24.
As of now, there is no timetable for Clark’s return, but there is still hope she can return before the postseason. In the meantime, Kelsey Mitchell (20.6), Aliyah Boston (15.2), and Natasha Howard (11.6) have been the anchors for this team.
Kelsey Mitchell set the record for the most games with 20+ points in a season in franchise history with 20 🌟
Even with Clark out, she has been a positive force for the team, cheering them on and coaching from the sideline. Peddy and Sims have been taking on the ball-handling responsibility.
According to BETMGM’s Shane Jackson, Indiana’s odds of making the postseason remain intact. “The Fever’s playoff odds are -1600, suggesting an implied probability of 94.12%. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index currently gives the Fever a 93.6% chance of reaching the postseason,” Jackson wrote.
Last season, the Fever made the postseason for the first time since the 2016 season.
Will Clark return in time to help lead her team to a deep playoff push?
Indiana Fever Signs 10-Year Veteran Guard to Hardship Deal