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Lexie Hull remembers what it was like playing for the Indiana Fever before Caitlin Clark came to town.
It’s different now. Arenas are noisier, opposing players more motivated and social media more volatile.
“The hardest part is there’s so much scrutiny. People have opinions online and, unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role that we play,” Hull told PK Press Club Digital about what’s harder about playing in Indiana since 2024.
“People need to know that everyone is human. We are real people. I think when things get blown out of proportion, when things get really personal and there are personal attacks on people’s character, I think that’s when things cross the line.”
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Lexie Hull, left, and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever during a game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024, in Seattle. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
When asked if she had been the target of personal attacks online, Hull replied: “I’m sure of it. I try not to read the comments for that reason.”
Much of the controversial discourse on social media about the Fever stems from heated moments on the field over the past two seasons. Clark and Fever fans often expressed outrage when an opposing player fouled her or made a physical play against Clark without a foul being called.
Hull was drafted by the Fever in 2022 and played two full seasons in a quieter, less crowded Gainbridge Fieldhouse than the one she played in the past two years, missing the playoffs both years.
But when Clark was drafted in 2024, the Hull team became the center of the women’s basketball world.
Hull says she noticed a difference in the way opposing players began to perform against her team that year, which she attributes to the rise in popularity.
“Because of the fans that we’ve had since 2024, with the increase in popularity, I think, with the Indiana Fever being like a name that people know. … And there’s a million jerseys and Fever jerseys. I think as the opposing team, you’d want to win even more because you feel like there’s so many people rooting for it,” Hull said.
“It’s exciting to have that type of crowd across the country, and I think like other teams, they have great fans and great people that show up for them, and they want to play for those people, just like we want to play for ours.”
Asked if she thinks games have become more physical, Hull said: “I think the game itself is physical. I don’t know if it’s become more physical. I think social media amplifies that a lot.
“I think people want to win. I think people just want to win. … [The games] are all physical. …They all get nervous sometimes. Calls are made, calls are not made. It’s just part of the game.”
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Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fevers watch the Golden State Valkyries celebrate their 88-77 victory during a WNBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco on June 19, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
During a game between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun on June 17, the physical aspect turned into a fight. After the Jacy Sheldon Sun Guard » poked Clark in the eyes and fellow Sun Marina Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground, Fever star Sophie Cunningham committed a serious foul on Sheldon, sparking an on-court fight that resulted in three expulsions.
Asked if she thought her team was prepared to deal with a similar incident in 2026, Hull said: “It shouldn’t come to that. »
Instead, Hull said she was focused on helping her team win a championship. And she embraces all the attention and popularity despite the challenges that come with it.
“Growing up, I didn’t necessarily watch the WNBA as much, I didn’t dream of playing in the league from a young age, and now girls have the ability to watch us, to see us, to dream of becoming professional athletes. And that’s what’s been the most rewarding part,” Hull said of the positives that come with that attention.
She came within one game of reaching the WNBA Finals last year, leading the Fever through the playoffs after Clark and Cunningham were lost for the season due to injuries. In a career-best year, Hull posted career highs in points (7.2), rebounds (4.3) and assists (1.8) while shooting 36.7% from 3-point range and appearing in all 44 games.
In the playoffs, she averaged 10.3 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 8 games. It all ended in a 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals.
With Clark and Cunningham healthy and returning this year, the Fever enters 2026 as a leading title contender.
“To taste that, to be so close and feel like we have so much more to give, I think it changes our mindset a little bit,” Hull said.
The trio of Clark, Cunningham and Hull proved to be an effective and attractive force in terms of popularity when they were all on the field at the same time last year. Along the way, they earned a mysterious social media nickname, which they later adopted for themselves: “Tres Leches,” which translates from Spanish to “three milks” and refers to a popular Latin American sponge cake.
“We saw it on Twitter at one point, and people ran with it,” Hull said of the nickname. “It was funny.”
When it comes to attracting attention, Hull, Clark and their teammates now have two years of conditioning in that area.
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Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10), Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham laugh near the team’s bench June 3, 2025, during a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN Syndication: The Indianapolis Star)
“I think everyone does a really good job of not paying any attention to the attention. I think we just show up the same way we do every day,” Hull said.
“Knowing that there are more eyes on us, knowing that there are more seats in the stands, all of that is exciting, but I don’t think it necessarily changes how we play, how we relate, what we post on social media. It just adds to the engagement.”
