Injuries have been a nagging issue throughout the Indiana Fever’s season. Five season-ending setbacks, including Caitlin Clark’s, yet the Fever still pushed their run all the way to a semifinal decider. Kelsey Mitchell undoubtedly had an MVP-caliber season, but she wasn’t alone. Lexie Hull has quietly become the team’s ironwoman, suiting up for all 44 games and battling through injury in the playoffs when her team needed her most.

Standard over feeling: Hull emphasized when she was asked about hustling through an injury during the Aces series. Every hard fall from Lexie Hull during the semifinals had Fever fans and even Caitlin Clark holding their breath. The guard hurt her back in Game 1 and landed on the injury report before Games 2 and 3. However, rather than being a spectator, Hull pushed through the pain and continued playing. This undoubtedly does bring out the rich Fever standard.

Caitlin Clark reflected on Lexi Hull’s overall impact in her exit interview, saying, “I think Lexi is obviously, as you guys know, one of my good friends. I don’t really have many bad things to say about her. But every team in this league should want a Lexi Hull-type of player on their team. I’ve never once seen her be disappointed in how much she played. I was here at the beginning of last year when she was getting DNPs, and she was the exact same person then as she is right now.”

“She turned into our third option offensively because we lost so many players. But she embraced that, she worked for that, and she wanted to be in that moment. I think she’s really flourished, and her game has improved quite a bit. Obviously, you all know she’s had some back troubles throughout the end of these playoffs. And I’m like, Lex, you just play reckless. I was holding my breath those last few games, but that literally just sums up the type of person she is. She’s selfless. She’s going to go out there. She’s going to lay it all on the line for this team,” Clark said, reflecting on Hull’s fearless approach.

Before Caitlin Clark joined the Fever, Lexie Hull had firmly cemented herself as one of the team’s starters during the 2023 season. She started 25 of the 30 games she played in 2023 and was poised to play a key role in 2024. However, fate had other plans, as Clark’s entry into the roster as a centrepiece led to Hull’s minutes being reduced, and she started just 11 games last year.

This season’s numbers, though, tell a different story. Even before the injury crisis hit, she’d firmly established herself as a starter, taking over from DeWanna Bonner early. Beyond her scoring, Hull has become a key defensive anchor for the Fever, often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s top perimeter players. In the decisive Game 3 against the Atlanta Dream, it was Hull who came up big with the game-winning steal, punching the Fever’s ticket to the semifinals.

That fearlessness and readiness to lead by example have been evident throughout the playoffs. Hull routinely dove after loose balls and never shied away from contact, even when getting up afterward proved to be painful. Her numbers reflected her effort, as she scored 82 points, averaging 10.3 points per game in the playoffs, proving that her so-called recklessness was her showing up for the team. And being reckless isn’t new—she’s even suited up with a black eye before! No one loves Indiana more than Hull, and that loyalty will soon be tested…

Lexie Hull Enters Free Agency; Will the Indiana Fever Prefer Keeping Her?

Lexi Hull will head into the offseason with an uncertain future for the first time in her career. She’s set to become a restricted free agent, entering the open market. To complicate matters, she won’t be the only Fever player testing free agency—Kelsey Mitchell will be available as well. If finances become tight, Stephanie White and the front office could face the heart-wrenching and tough choice of having to prioritize between the two.

“I’ve built a life here, and I love this franchise,” Lexi Hull said to IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson. “I love the people, I love the fans, so we’ll see what comes.” She played all 44 games, averaging 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals last season. Her numbers may not jump off the page, but her durability and two-way presence gave Indiana the stability it desperately needed.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Hull stays in Indiana. Everyone in the state loves her, she loves the team, and on paper, it seems like an easy choice. But stranger things have happened in this sport before. And, not to be a party-pooper, but the CBA needs to be resolved first if any of this is going to bear fruit.

What do you think is going to happen? Let us know below.