Lexie Hull’s Career Night Helps Fever Survive the Storm

By Madie Chandler | FeverBasketball.com

The Indiana Fever were winless in three games against Seattle going into their fourth and final showdown with the Storm on Sunday, but this one was different. Indiana, fighting for a playoff spot, was looking for a flashy win, and Seattle was ranked fourth overall. The Fever were looking to move up from seventh and took the field ready to disrupt Seattle’s parade.

And so they did, one three-pointer at a time, winning Game 4 of the season series against Seattle on a thrilling shot.

Lexie Hull stamped the first half with a timely 10 points as she navigated space around the rim and beyond the 3-point line, playing her role to perfection as she connected on four of her first six shots to pull within two of her 2024 season-high (12). Her sense of space created the chance that became Caitlin Clark’s 225th assist of the season – a WNBA rookie assist-record-setting dump-off pass as both players raced to the rim in transition. More importantly, Hull was a vital part of the Fever’s offensive surge to turn the score around before the halftime buzzer.

A sluggish start saw Indiana score just 13 points on 33 percent shooting and end the first quarter without a 3-point basket. Hull made two in the second quarter as the Fever overcame a seven-point deficit to lead 35-34 at halftime. Kelsey Mitchell followed suit, hitting two more in the third quarter en route to a 10-point frame and 27 total points.

Indiana and Seattle were separated by just one run through three innings, with the Fever leading 59-58.

“We felt like we could have just played at a little bit faster tempo,” Clark said. “We’re really good in transition, but even in the half court we just moved a little bit slower, like we wanted a little bit more energy on the ball.

“And I think when we got that in the second half, their rotations, when they got tired, they just weren’t as good. And then we, you know, weren’t able to get as many contested shots, and we were able to knock them down. And I don’t know what we shot there in the fourth quarter, but I felt like we made almost every shot.”

The bravado from the Indiana sideline in the fourth quarter was infectious. Hull drew an offensive foul on the first possession of the quarter, hit two more 3-pointers, and then took another charge on defense. The crowd was pumped up, and the players on the court fed off that energy, extending the lead to 10 points with 5:51 to play.

“Confidence is everything,” Clark said. “Confidence is good for the group and it’s contagious. So the more we’ve had of that, the better we’ve been. But like Christie said, obviously the playoffs are our goal. That’s my goal for this team, but it’s got to be one game at a time. You can’t get too far ahead of yourself. That’s how good every team is in this league.”

Indiana would ride that wave of confidence into a 33-point fourth quarter, outscoring the Storm by 16 points en route to a win over one of the league’s top five teams. They sank eight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, making a blistering 80% from distance. Hull made four 3-point baskets in Indiana’s pivotal fourth quarter offensive effort, securing their 92-75 win over Seattle and a new career-high of 22 points. She made six of her seven attempts from deep overall – an 85% success rate from the 3-point line.

Hull was able to enjoy her moment with her family when her grandmother and sister traveled to Indiana to sit on the sidelines for her career night.

“Getting a win for somebody else is awesome,” Hull said. “Winning for my grandma, who came all the way from Spokane, and my sister who came from Austin, is awesome. And having them on the sidelines was super cool, too. So it was a really good, really good feeling tonight.”

Hull’s family enjoyed the game with 17,272 other fans as Gainbridge Fieldhouse played host to another sold-out Fever home game. They’ve played to sell-out crowds for all but three regular-season games, and they’re riding that momentum to earn a shot at the WNBA postseason.

“Sometimes when shots are made or something big happens, I’ve been a coach in this league a long time, and the way the crowd sounds and the way it feels, it’s like you’re playing in the championship game,” coach Christie Sides said. “And for our players to experience that every night when we put our shoes on and play those minutes, it’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable. Great time for women’s basketball. Great time for the Fever.”