Imago
Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) and guard Caitlin Clark (right) talk before the game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Imago
Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10) and guard Caitlin Clark (right) talk before the game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Drafted in 2022, Lexie Hull was in Indiana when fewer than 2000 fans attended their games. Four years and one Caitlin Clark later, they house more than 17,000 fans at the Gainbridge Field House. The franchise is now the second most valuable in the league at a whopping $370 million and sells more merchandise than they could have ever imagined. Nevertheless, as a part of the most popular team in the league, Hull admitted some major drawbacks as well.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Clark is undoubtedly the most popular athlete in the league. She has led this women’s basketball revolution back from her days in Iowa with her logo threes and jaw-dropping dimes. At Indiana Fever, she was destined to be the main attraction. Clark also elevates her teammates. They become more popular than they would have. Look at Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull, their off-court value has heavily grown since becoming Clark’s teammates. At the same time, there are some things that they can’t avoid.
“I think the most challenging part is there’s so much scrutiny,” Hull admitted in a recent interview with Jackson Thompson of Fox Sports. “People have opinions online, and that’s part of the job and the role that we play. People need to know that everyone’s human, we’re real people. When things get blown out of proportion, when things get really personal and there are attacks on people’s character, that’s where it’s over the line.”
Top Stories
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull opened up to me about the most challenging part about sharing a team with Caitlin Clark.
“There’s just so much scrutiny. People have opinions online, and, unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role that we play.” pic.twitter.com/I38R77n8Mh
— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) April 10, 2026
That applies to Indiana Fever fans as well as rivals. When Hull or any player on the squad does not match the expectations, they are often crucified for it almost immediately. And the nature of social media is such that things rarely stay within the game. Such treatment affects their mental health. Ironically, fans want better performances, and their abuse eventually results in them going down. Yet, Hull and others have multiple initiatives from the WNBA to help them.
The league has collaborated with the Mind Health Digital Tool, where they can find out what wellness strategies work best for them. They launched a “No Space For Hate” campaign to control such online abuse. The league also offered players, their families and league personnel access to a tool called “Social Protect,” which uses AI to “delete hateful or abusive comments” on social media platforms.
“I’m sure I have. I try not to read comments for that reason,” Hull said when asked about the online personal attacks. “I think everyone does a really good job of not giving it attention. We’re still showing up the same way every day. Knowing that there’s more eyes on us, more seats in the stands, all of that is exciting, but it doesn’t change how we go about the game, our relationships, or what we post on social media. It just adds to the engagement.”
Ultimately, it’s out of the control of the players. Hull has been reportedly given a qualifying offer so she is expected to return in this free agency. So, she will continue playing with Caitlin Clark and being in the spotlight. And from a different perspective, it’s actually a positive sign for the league. The WNBA ecosystem and fanbase are becoming more and more passionate. They are getting attached to the teams. Look across the most popular leagues like the NBA, the MLB or the NFL, similar things are visible.
Yes, they need to be solved, but changing millions of fans and the culture is almost impossible. The only thing the league has to do is support the players. And they are doing so by providing expanded mental health coverage and a mental health reimbursement benefit in the new CBA.
Lexie Hull Debunks WNBA ‘Physicality’ Myth Despite Injury-Affected Indiana Fever Season
In the last couple of years, there is a major narrative brewing around the WNBA regarding its physicality. 2025 had 220+ injuries with the Indiana Fever and multiple other franchises heavily impacted. Fever had to sign one emergency player after another after losing Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and others. Lexie Hull has been at the end of some very brutal knocks, playing with two black eyes at one point last season. She has been battle-hardened with her effort plays and defensive intensity.
With new fans joining, particularly from the NBA, many noticed that the referees allow a lot more contact. Caitlin Clark was particularly the topic of discussion as she experienced multiple flagrant fouls. However, even with the increased injuries, Hull maintains that the physicality has remained consistent. “I think the game itself is physical. I don’t know if it’s gotten more physical. Social media amplifies a lot of that,” she said.
The blowing out of proportion occurs on social media but the numbers don’t lie. If the physicality remained the same, the increased schedule could have been a major contributor to these injuries. The league expanded to a 44-game schedule packed within the same timeframe. Players have criticized this increased frequency. The league plans to expand it to 50 games. So, maybe the current physicality is not suitable for the new reality, and the league needs to adapt.
Written by
Edited by
Snigdhaa Jaiswal