Former Arizona star Aari McDonald returns to WNBA with 1st-place Minnesota Lynx

McDonald signed with the Minnesota Lynx on Monday, the team announced.

McDonald played last season for the Indiana Fever, averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Her 2025 season ended in August when she suffered a broken right foot. Injuries have kept McDonald mostly off the court since then.

She was supposed to play for the Breeze of the 3-on-3 Unrivaled league but appeared in only one game.

"I can't put into words how excited I am to be back in the league and especially playing for an organization like Minnesota," McDonald said in a news release. "This last year of my life has been a roller coaster, so I'm finally glad I get to see the fruits of my labor."

Led by star rookie Olivia Miles, Minnesota has the best record in the WNBA (31-9) and has clinched a playoff berth. The Lynx have four more regular-season games starting Sept. 18. The WNBA is currently on hiatus to accommodate players participating in the FIBA World Cup.

After leading Arizona to its first and only Final Four in 2021, McDonald was selected by the Atlanta Dream with the third pick in the ’21 WNBA Draft.

McDonald, 28, spent three seasons with the Dream and one with the L.A. Sparks before playing for Indiana last year.

At Arizona, McDonald was a two-time All-American, a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and the league’s overall Player of the Year in 2020-21.