'We’re Down People': Lexie Hull Gets Brutally Honest On Playing Through Exhaustion Amid Team’s Injury Crisis

“We’re down people, so gotta suck it up, play a little tired a few minutes, so everyone’s gotta do a little more,” she said.

The Indiana Fever’s playoff hopes have been imperiled this season by a mounting cascade of injuries that has all but gutted the roster. All-Star Caitlin Clark has missed more than 14 games with a persistent groin issue, while veteran point guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson have been lost for the year to a broken foot and ACL tear, respectively.

The crisis deepened when rotation wing Sophie Cunningham suffered a torn MCL and precautionary knee soreness sidelined Chloe Bibby, forcing coach Stephanie White to dip into hardship contracts for veteran guards Odyssey Sims and forward Aerial Powers.

Fever HC Praises Lexie Hull Being “Aggressive”

Lexie Hull delivered one of the brightest performances for the Indiana Fever in Friday’s 95–90 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, prompting head coach Stephanie White to praise her newfound aggression on the court. With key contributors Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Chloe Bibby sidelined, Hull stepped into the starting lineup and exploded for a career-high 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Her late-game surge kept Indiana within striking distance, even after Minnesota’s trio of Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith, and Jessica Sheppard outpaced the Fever in the third quarter to flip the contest in the Lynx’s favor.

“She was aggressive,” White said of Hull’s career game, in a post-game interview. “She was hunting shots, she was aggressive to the rim. You know, she knew we needed another scorer on the floor and because of the attention that Kelsey and AB [Aliyah Boston] get, she was getting free and she was hunting shots.”

“That’s what we’re going to need from her,” she added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8np0AGb_2Q&feature=youtu.be

With multiple guards headed to season-ending injured reserve, White expects Hull’s aggressive approach to become a permanent fixture as Indiana navigates its final eight games. Lexie Hull has now started in 22 games this season, and her ability to consistently hunt shots could prove decisive as the Fever cling to a slim lead in the playoff race.