Like most WNBA fans, Lexie Hull consumes a lot of Caitlin Clark content.
At any time Clark breaks recordsays something interesting or, for example, sneezes, Hull is informed.
But when Hull, Clark and Katie Lou Samuelson traveled with their boyfriends (in Samuelson’s case, her husband) to Mexico for a much-needed beach vacation during the WNBA’s Olympic hiatus, Hull learned something new about Clark.
The first overall pick in the 2024 draft and the heavy favorite to win Rookie of the Year is… funny.
A bit crazy, even. A prankster.
“She loves to cause trouble, that’s for sure. If you need a laugh, she’ll do it for you,” Hull told USA TODAY Sports.
Additionally, Hull’s friendship with Clark and the resulting on-field chemistry could be the difference ahead of the game. The WNBA Playoffs.
The Fever, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, begin their Playoffs on Sunday in Connecticut in the first of a three-game series against the Sun. The Fever are the sixth seed and have won nine of their last 13 games. Everyone knows what they’re getting with Clark (19.2 ppg, 8.4 apg), 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston (14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and two-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell (19.2 ppg).
But Hull’s rise this season has been the most impressive and, in many ways, the most surprising.
THE 2022 WNBA Draft No. 6 pickHull was the starter for most of last season. Many thought that would change with the addition of Clark, who was supposed to become the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 once the Fever acquired the No. 1 pick last December. When Indiana made it official on April 15, a video of Hull, Erica Wheeler and Maya Caldwell celebrating — and immediately donning red No. 22 Fever jerseys — went viral.
Hull knew her role might change, but she embraced the opportunity to play with someone who has rewritten the university’s record books.
“I want to play with the best players and I want to win games,” Hull said. “Having her on your team makes your team better. I watched her in college and was really impressed with her playmaking ability. Honestly, I was more excited about her passing ability than her scoring ability. I was excited to go out and run and make cuts because I knew she would find me.”
The fact that they fell in love at first sight and immediately became good friends was a bonus.
And yet even Hulls admits the first few weeks of the season have been difficult.
Out of the rotation early (she didn’t come off the bench in six of the Fever’s first 21 games), Hull began to heat up after the Olympic break. On August 18, in Indiana’s second game back after the month-long hiatus, Hull came off the bench and made six of her seven three-point attempts in a 92-75 win over Seattle.
“It was frustrating because I was in the gym every day, but I felt like my performance wasn’t living up to the amount of work I was putting in,” she said. “So to get to the point where I could just go with the flow felt good. Things were finally starting to click, and it definitely changes the feel of the game on both ends of the floor.”
After this match, Clark posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter, “This is now a Lexie Hull fan account.”
She’s been on a roll since then. Hull was inserted into the starting lineup on Aug. 28; Indiana is 6-3 with her in the first five games. She’s second in the WNBA in three-point percentage, shooting 47.1 percent from the field. She made 24 of 38 attempts after the Olympics, an impressive 63.2 percent.
Hull’s confidence has clearly skyrocketed in the second half of the season. That’s especially true when she’s on the court with Clark, whose trust in Hull is evident every time she passes him the ball on the perimeter.
“I think she has a lot of confidence, but she also has high expectations of everyone,” said Hull, who is often seen laughing on the bench with Clark. “She creates a lot of shots. We get chances to score because of the attention she gets, and when she gives up the ball, we get chances to score. And when you get them in, it gives you confidence.”
This is now a Lexie Hull fan account
— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) August 18, 2024
Clark also sees the difference in Hull.
“She brings tenacity, especially on defense,” Clark said. “She’s going to be the one diving down the court. She’s going to be the one chasing the best player all over the court. And she’s obviously worked really hard on her shot as well. The way she’s been able to shoot the ball since the Olympic break is unbelievable. I think it’s added a whole other dynamic for us.”
Hull credits the month off with giving him and others the opportunity to build a relationship with Clark outside of basketball. Based on past experiences, Hull knew that locker room camaraderie could translate to games.
“I think even when I look back on our success at Stanford, a lot of it came from us really caring about each other and building those friendships off the court,” said Hull, who helped the Cardinal win the 2021 NCAA title.
From 2,400 miles away, even Kate Martin, Clark’s teammate at Iowa who now plays for the Las Vegas Aces, noticed Hull’s improvement and suspected Clark’s friendship had something to do with it. Clark’s ability to instill confidence in her teammates, Martin said, is a game changer.
“Her best asset is her ability to make her teammates better,” Martin said. “When you’re a player that talented and confident, other people start to believe in you, too.”
At Iowa, Martin said she often felt like Clark knew how good she could be before Martin realized it herself. Martin might be surprised that she’s on a WNBA team, but Clark had predicted this would happen.
Indiana coach Christie Sides saw it, too. She said that for all of Clark’s accomplishments, her ability to elevate her teammates is “what sets her apart.”
Hull’s confidence boost hasn’t just impacted her offensive output. Hull is often assigned to defend the opponent’s best perimeter player, and is known for her quick plays that don’t typically show up on a stat sheet.
Since her resurgence in mid-August, Hull has made late-game plays — stopping a big shot, grabbing a key defensive rebound, deflecting a critical pass or taking a charge — in nearly every close Fever game. TV analyst Debbie Antonelli, who has called every Indiana game this season, recently described her on-air play as “vintage Lexie Hull.”
For Fever, it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell
This article was originally published on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull’s friendship pays off in Indiana Fever
