We’re only about a month away from the WNBA playoffs, making it crunch time for teams. The season has been going on since May, which means many teams have plenty of injured players at this point.
That’s why the Indiana Fever just signed guard Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract. Odyssey is a WNBA veteran, and she spent the first part of the season with the Los Angeles Sparks before she was waived last month.
The Fever has welcomed Odyssey to the team on social media, but people have questions. Here’s what you need to know about hardship contracts in the WNBA, plus why the Fever even needs one.
What is a WNBA hardship contract?
While WNBA teams have to set their rosters by May 15, the league allows teams to sign people to a “hardship contract” when they don’t have a minimum of 10 players on their roster. Teams can be granted a hardship contract after missing players for more than three weeks, per the Indy Star.
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Unfortunately, having a hardship contract doesn’t mean you’re a permanent member of the team, or even will be with the team for the rest of the season. Some players have been dropped just days after signing a hardship contract, but this type of contract still allows teams to quickly bulk up their roster when needed.
Why does the Indiana Fever need a hardship contract?
At baseline, WNBA teams aren’t massive. Each team has 12 players and, when people inevitably get injured, the reserves on the bench dwindle.
The Fever has dealt with a lot of injuries this season. Sydney Colson tore her left ACL during a game against the Phoenix Mercury on August 7, and Aari McDonald broke a bone in her right foot at that same game—both are sidelined for the rest of the season due to those injuries.
Caitlin Clark has also been out since July 16 due to a groin injury. The Fever shared in late July that there is “no timetable” for Caitlin’s return to the court, and updates on her health status have been vague since then.
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“It’s just been so challenging being active and playing four games and then not,” Caitlin shared on Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast earlier this month. “And like not feeling the best and then frustrated of how hard I worked in the offseason and then all I do is rehab and continue to do this process and just trying to trust that the best I can.”
What other WNBA players have signed hardship contracts?
There have been a few other hardship contracts issued this season.
In May, the Los Angeles Sparks signed Liatu King to a hardship contract while Rae Burrell was out with a leg injury and Cameron Brink recovered from an ACL injury. The Phoenix Mercury also signed Haley Jones to a hardship contract in early June, and released her a week early. (She was later picked up by the Dallas Wings.)
As for the Fever, it’s not clear if Caitlin will come back in time for the playoffs or if she’s also out for the season.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.