Thanks to the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, the Indiana Fever are currently enjoying a much-needed break. With Caitlin Clark tweaking her back and Sophie Cunningham coming off an MCL tear, this was a rare extended break ahead of their upcoming matchup against defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces. Now, Lexie Hull has revealed what they’ve done to address their defensive shortcomings.
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“It’s defending without fouling there. That’s a big one for us,” she said while speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday’s practice. “It’s also our rotations on the defensive side. We can play 15 seconds of great defense and then have slippage there.”
“So it’s making sure that we can play a full 24 seconds. We can help each other build trust and chemistry on that side of the court, and that’s what we’ve been working on.”
Imago
May 28, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks with guard Sophie Cunningham (8), guard Lexie Hull (10), and Indiana Fever during a game against the Golden State Valkyries in the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Coming into the 2026 season, the Fever were widely viewed as legitimate championship contenders. Offensively, they have largely lived up to that by leading the league with 93.9 points per game.
The Fever average a league-high 24.2 fouls per game, which gives their opponents nearly 26 easy opportunities at the free-throw line.
However, in the 8 losses they suffered so far, the problem has been the other end of the floor. Lexie Hull and her teammates are allowing opponents to score 90.0 points per game because of their defensive breakdowns and inconsistent rotations.
So while ESPN currently gives Las Vegas a 59.4% chance of winning the matchup, if Indiana can’t fix their defense, A’ja Wilson and the Aces’ frontcourt will make them pay. Wilson alone is averaging 25.7 points per game with a 52.4% field goal success rate.
Meanwhile, for Indiana, Caitlin Clark’s day-to-day status after the back injury further complicates the matchup. Thankfully, Lexie Hull and the rest of the team have already shown they can compete even without their biggest star after their 111-87 win against the Los Angeles Sparks.
However, their upcoming game is not just about whether they win or lose. It carries a bigger question mark over this franchise: whether they truly belong in the conversation of championship contenders.
The Las Vegas Aces are the defending WNBA champions, and so far their 14-5 record is better than the Fever’s 11-8. With Indiana being a fresher squad, beating the defending champions would give them a confidence boost.