The Indiana Fever’s 2025 season will be remembered for the injuries. The side had the most injuries in the league, with three players – Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham already out for the season. The franchise confirms its newest addition, Aerial Powers, ahead of the game against the Minnesota Lynx to fill in the gaps.
Interestingly, the former Lynx star has a twisted relationship with Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve, which could potentially spice up the upcoming high-voltage fixture.
Tensions Between Aerial Powers And Cheryl Reeve
The Indiana franchise lost three players for the season, while Caitlin Clark, Odyssey Sims, and Chloe Bibby are doubtful for the upcoming game against the Lynx. Clark and Bibby didn’t play in the Friday night fixture, leaving the side with nine active players on the roster. This gave the front office a chance to sign another player on a hardship contract.
HC Stephanie White Highlighted the Fever process for selecting new players, and the franchise chose Aerial Powers, a former Golden State Valkyries star, to fill in the back-court void. What’s more ironic is that the player was the top scorer for the Lynx in 2022 and later left the side following a rocky relationship with HC Cheryl Reeve.
In 2022, she joined Sylvia Fowles as the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14.4 points per game. But the former champion fell out of Reeve’s rotation after her ankle injury early in the 2023 season. The player played in 20 games but didn’t start once for the 58-year-old coach.
Frustrated Powers openly declared her availability to the league, tweeting, “Couldn’t wait to play for another team.” The broken relationship once again came to light when the coach asked for a seat change on the plane, knowing Powers would be her traveling companion. The incident took place when she was travelling to the 2023 All-Star game in Phoenix and was on a livestream sharing her experience with the fans.
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Cheryl Reeve quickly changed her seat after realizing she was sitting next to her former player, Aerial Powers 👀
— WNBA Got Game (@wnbagotgame) July 22, 2024
🎥 @aerialpowers_ on YouTube pic.twitter.com/Adz6IHcDEN
While the player showed excitement joining the Indiana Fever, it will be interesting to see her playing against Reeve once again, and given the circumstances, it will make the game even more intense at the Target Center.
Aerial Powers Could Be Perfect Back Up For The Indiana Fever
Apart from the expected fire against the Minnesota Lynx (or Cheryl Reeve), the Indiana Fever could expect some support at the offensive end and playmaking from the 31-year-old star. The star averages around 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal per game.
The stats are similar to those of Sims and Aari McDonald, who proved valuable additions to the Fever franchise. Moreover, the 5-foot-11 star could play at the small forward position and also provide a backup at the wing. Fans will be eagerly waiting for Clark’s return, and depending on her performance against the Lynx on Sunday night, she could see Powers as a regular on the team.