While Indiana Fever’s superstar Caitlin Clark was benched from the 3-point contest and All-Star game owing to a nagging right groin injury, her teammate Lexie Hull stepped up to save the day. And honestly, it tracks. Hull sounded tailor-made for the job. Do not only take our word for it, just rewind to what Clark said about her before a late June game against the Golden State Valkyries: “She’s active, she’s aggressive, and also she shoots the ball really well. She’s made a lot of 3s for us, she’s shooting at close to 60% which is really unheard of in all of basketball, you just don’t see that.”

That’s high praise, especially coming from someone who basically lives behind the arc. And while Clark’s deep-range dominance remains untouched, Hull is the only Fever player who could reasonably moonlight in her role without raising eyebrows. After all, she has the best 3PT% in the franchise right now and ranks fourth in the league at 46.8%. So when the chance to represent Clark came around, it wasn’t just a roster adjustment; it was a big moment. And perhaps no one was more hyped than teammate Kelsey Mitchell, who was clearly ready to see Hull let it fly.

In an interview with Robin Lundberg, Kelsey Mitchell couldn’t quite keep her excitement, or her slip-up, in check when talking about Lexie Hull’s 3-point contest nod. “CC’s dope for making sure that happened,” Mitchell said, casually giving Caitlin Clark full credit before realizing she might’ve said the quiet part out loud. While most assumed it was the league’s decision to bring Hull in, Mitchell’s comment all but confirmed the influence of the Caitlin Clark Effect. Realizing things quickly, she backpedaled with, “Or the WNBA, for that matter.” Nice save. Kind of.

However, CC’s nice behind-the-scenes gesture held Hull by surprise and an equal amount of frenzied nerves. Breaking her silence in a recent interview, Hull spoke to Indiana sports reporter Tony East, who asked, “I’m sure you were going to go to everything anyway. But now being a participant, how does that kind of change what your weekend looks like?”

Her answer came with a chuckle, hinting at the whirlwind her weekend had suddenly become. “The schedule is jam-packed today,” Hull began, laughing. “So, I was not expecting to be in the three-point, but now it’s just added to the list.” And with barely any time to prep for her sudden turn in the spotlight, Hull made one thing clear. “No practice. No practice. So, we’re just going to go out there, have fun,” she said. Clearly, she barely had time to fuss about the contest. Instead, she decided to enjoy the challenge while it lasted.

Lexie Hull made her entrance like a true underdog hero, walking past a hype squad of Indiana Fever teammates. Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard, Makayla Timpson, Sophie Cunningham, and Aari McDonald – they were all there, hooting, cheering, and urging the crowd to keep the claps coming. Even our EssentiallySports crew present in Indianapolis must have momentarily forgotten they were holding cameras. And pressure or not, Hull delivered. In her 3-Point Contest debut, she racked up 20 points in the first round.

Now, that’s not too shabby when you’re going toe-to-toe with some of the WNBA’s bigwigs. She was up against the likes of Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, Allisha Gray, and rookie Sonia Citron. Ionescu ended up taking the $60,000 prize home, while Hull was just a bit crestfallen before she realised how fun it had been.“I was disappointed because I wanted to make it to the finals for them,” Hull said. “Because they were there supporting me. I’m just so grateful for their support, that a lot of them came out tonight, and yeah, we had fun.”

And fun, that’s exactly what Nike had on its to-do list as well.

Nike Moves Beyond Caitlin Clark to Drop Heartwarming WNBA All-Star Tribute

Caitlin Clark might’ve pulled out of the 2025 All-Star Games, but Nike wasn’t about to let the party turn into a pity fest. While the nation collectively sighed into their merch, the swoosh squad showed up with one message: chin up, the show goes on. In true Nike fashion, the brand dropped a cinematic tribute to the WNBA’s brightest stars, featuring Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and a very photogenic Indianapolis. The brand was clearly doubling down on its love affair with women’s sports, taking the spotlight with its now-famous “Everybody Watches the WNBA” campaign.

In fact, Nike joined forces with Foot Locker to create a truly immersive All-Star Weekend experience. On Friday and Saturday, from 10 AM to 6 PM, fans can dive into “The Clinic”- a specially curated Hardwood House pop-up designed just for the 2025 ASW celebration. With this, visitors get the chance to customize their own Air Force 1s, browse exclusive limited-edition Nike signature sneakers and gear, and maybe even bump into a few big-name guests. With a live DJ setting the vibe, gallery installations, photo booths, and plenty more on offer, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience tailor-made for WNBA lovers.