Indiana Fever fans have had to become more familiar with the term "hardship contract" and everything that can entail for an organization. The Fever has lost several players, including Caitlin Clark, Syd Colson, Aari McDonald, and Sophie Cunningham to injuries (and the latter three were all season-ending; Clark's status remains to be seen) in 2025 and has added a whole host of hardship players to the roster this year.
Those players include McDonald, who initially signed on to the Fever as a hardship player before being offered a rest-of-season contract, as well as Odyssey Sims and Chloe Bibby, as well as league veteran Shey Peddy. While Bibby didn't get a lot of time to show the Fever what she's made of before she went down with an injury of her own, Sims (who was nursing a small groin injury during the team's recent matches against the Sun and the Lynx) and Peddy have managed to reinvigorate a fan base that has struggled at times to keep up. That's no small feat, especially since Sims and Peddy in particular seemed to immediately understand the Fever's style of play and system, which has given the team a shot at recovering ground lost throughout the season.
The Fever also signed 9-year WNBA veteran Aerial Powers, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 Draft, to a 7-day hardship contract on August 23.
Though there was plenty of confusion when McDonald joined the team via hardship contract (at various points, it seemed possible the length of McDonald's temporary contracts could indicate when Clark might return from what was then her third injury of the season). The contracts are typically set for 7 days at a time and can be renewed more than once (Sims is currently playing on her third hardship contract with the Fever).
Like McDonald before them, nearly every hardship contract player the team has signed has gone on to more than prove their contribution to the Fever, something that will make their dismissal painful — if it happens at all. The team currently boasts 10 active players (including Sims, Powers, and Peddy, but not including Bibby), and the league maximum of 12 won't be challenged if Clark is able to return to the court this season.
If Clark doesn't return, it's likely safe to assume the Fever will retain all three players (as well as Bibby, who was only ruled out of the team's Sunday game as a precaution).
No matter how things shake out for the Fever this season (the team is currently ranked No. 8 overall and hoping for a playoffs run that may or may not come to fruition), 2025 will be remembered as the season in which hardship contract players more than proved their worth and commitment to the team, its fans, and the rest of the league.