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The Indiana Fever have signed veteran point guard Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract, the team announced Sunday. The Fever became eligible for a hardship exception after Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald went down with season-ending injuries in a defeat to the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 7. 

Sims' hardship contract will last for seven days, at which point the Fever could elect to sign her to another seven-day hardship contract. However, a player is only allowed to sign three hardship contracts with the same team in one season and hardship contracts cannot extend into the playoffs.

Sims began the season with the Los Angeles Sparks, but was waived on July 2. The former All-Star averaged 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on 35.3% shooting from 3-point range in her 12 appearances with the Sparks this season. The Fever will be the sixth team that Sims has played with since beginning her career in 2014. 

Fever's Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson suffer season-ending injuries as Indiana's health woes continue
Robby Kalland
Fever's Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson suffer season-ending injuries as Indiana's health woes continue

After a promising offseason and thrilling Opening Day win over the Chicago Sky, the Fever have been beset by injuries and adversity this season. Star guard Caitlin Clark has only played 13 games due to three different soft tissue injuries, DeWanna Bonner forced her way out after just nine appearances and now Colson (torn ACL) and McDonald (broken foot) are out for the season. 

Despite so much going wrong, the Fever are 18-14 and sitting in fifth place in the standings. They're well on their way to a second consecutive postseason appearance and their first winning season since 2015 -- coincidentally the last time they won a playoff series. 

The Fever entered the season with championship expectations, and still have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs, but only if they're healthy come September. Most importantly, they need Clark back and at her best. After a historic Rookie of the Year campaign, Clark has dealt with left quad, left groin and right groin injuries that have not only limited her to 13 games, but prevented her from performing at her typical level when she's been on the court. 

Clark is averaging 16.5 points, five rebounds and 8.8 assists, but is shooting just 36.7% from the field, including 27.9% from 3-point range. She does not have a return timeline, and Fever coach Stephanie White said earlier this month that the team is continuing to be cautious with their superstar.

"It's day-to-day right now, we're putting no timetable on it," White said on Aug. 4. "[She is] going through the rehab process, and then we want to reintegrate her from a strength and conditioning standpoint and then get her back to basketball activities. So we're taking it one day at a time, really slow rolling it, slow playing it this time... The most important thing for us is Caitlin's long-term health and getting her back to 100% before we put her back on the floor." 

Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star remains out Tuesday for showdown with Mercury, DeWanna Bonner
Jack Maloney
Caitlin Clark injury update: Fever star remains out Tuesday for showdown with Mercury, DeWanna Bonner

Sims will help stabilize the point guard position until Clark is ready to play again. She has plenty of experience and has a similar skillset to McDonald -- pesky point of attack defender, willingness to play at pace, ability to get downhill -- which should help ease the transition for both her and her new teammates. 

The Fever will be in action again on Tuesday against No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.