Lexie Hull literally put her body on the line for the Indiana Fever. Last season, Hull was falling around, banging into players and making hustle plays each game. After that season she could have easily explored options, especially in this lucrative CBA. However, the restrictive free agent resigned rather seamlessly. Hull was stoked about a return and now she has explained why.
“You talk about certain players as being kind of plug-and-play players,” coach Stephanie White said. “They can play with any lineup. They can play in multiple positions. You know what you’re going to get, they’re consistent… Lexie is one of those.” On the other hand, Amber Cox said that Hull represents “the heart” of the team. For Hull it’s all about familiarity and at this point the fans have practically adopted her as their own.
“I mean, this is home. I think you know when the season ended last year, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Hull said. “I’ve been here for four seasons and I feel like we had great momentum last season. We’re able to accomplish more than we had in the past and I think for me, I just want to keep growing on that, building on that and building this group.”
Lexie Hull on re-signing with the Fever, what’s made Indiana feel like home. pic.twitter.com/eUJMGr6kdR
— hank
(@Brian_Haenchen) April 20, 2026
Indiana Fever’s 2025 season was chaotic to say the least. Multiple stars sat on the bench and Hull found herself in a more prominent role than she was expecting. And she delivered. The former Stanford star averaged career highs in points (7.2), rebounds (4.3) and assists (1.8), with a 36.7% accuracy from 3.
The fans loved her more than what her numbers suggest, as she has grown into the intangible queen of the team. That is simply because of her endurance and dedication. At one point she was playing with two black eyes, still being their base on defense. And because of the hardships last year, players have grown even more attached to this team. The chemistry and culture created by Stephanie White are not something that can be easily replicated. However, Hull maintained that the love of the fans has been there since she arrived.
“I mean, the fans are great. They from the moment I got here in my rookie year, even though we didn’t have the best year on the court, they welcomed me with open arms,” She further said. “Someone from the West Coast didn’t have a lot of people here; they didn’t have anyone here really that I knew they made this place feel like home and it’s just continued to feel more and more like home.”
The Indiana Fever fandom has grown exponentially since the arrival of Caitlin Clark. But when Hull was a rookie, the number wasn’t high, as the Fever ranked last in the league with only 1775 fans attending the game. But they were still loyal while fiercely backing their team. There is a reason Kelsey Mitchell endured through all the failures as well. But now as they head into the 2026 season with renewed intensity, Lexie Hull has admitted one failure from 2025 the Fever are determined to flip.
Lexie Hull Admits A Special Focus On Defense Heading Into 2026 Season
The Indiana Fever had a cinderella run to the semifinals last year. Even with multiple key pieces, including Caitlin Clark, on the bench, the team persevered, finishing 24-20 in the regular season, which ultimately gave them the No. 6 seed. The team was flowing with Kelsey Mitchell in top-notch form, Lexie Hull guarding the perimeter, Aliyah Boston in the paint and emergency signings like Odyssey Sims and Aerial Powers giving them important points. Yet, there was one stat that left Hull and Co. dissatisfied that they are now working to improve.
“We didn’t finish where we wanted to on the defensive rating last year, and we’re hoping to improve and get to the top of the leaderboard on both the defensive and offensive sides,” Hull said. “They go hand in hand. When one works, they both do.”
The Fever were not the worst defense but they were not the best either. They finished with the 7th best defensive rating of 101.8. At one point, it was their identity as their offensive ability was usurped by injuries. Aliyah Boston guarded A’ja Wilson like it was her last series in the semifinals.
Hull found herself smelling the floor almost each game because of all the physicality. Even if the numbers don’t show it, the Fever already have a strong base to build on to have an elite defense. In the last 5 games of the season, their defensive rating came down to 95.4.
“Defense wins championships,” Hull said. “That’s always been what my coaches have said throughout my career. Having that as our foundation and building off of that will help us have a lot of success.”
This season, they have made significant additions to improve their defense. The Fever drafted Raven Johnson at No. 10, who was on the SEC All-Defensive Team and often guards the best opponent. Stephanie White and Co. have made it clear that they need to improve. If the gears fit and everything works, the Fever could be a problem on both sides of the court.
