Fever’s Lexie Hull says online personal attacks have gone too far

Lexie Hull remembers what it was like to play for the Indiana Fever before Caitlin Clark arrived in town.

It’s different now. Arenas are louder, opposing players are more motivated and social media is more volatile.

“The most challenging part is there’s just so much scrutiny. People have opinions online, and unfortunately that’s part of the job and the role we play,” Hull told Pakinomist Digital about what’s more difficult about playing in Indiana since 2024.

“People need to know that everybody’s human. We’re 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 where it crosses the line.”

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When asked if she has been the target of personal attacks online, Hull said: “I’m sure I have. I try not to read 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 at times when an opponent beat her down or delivered a physical play against Clark without a foul being called.

Drafted by the Fever in 2022, Hull played two full seasons in a quieter, less crowded Gainbridge Fieldhouse than she has played in the last two years, falling short of the playoffs both years.

But when Clark was drafted in 2024, Hull’s team became the center of the women’s basketball world.

Hull says she noticed a difference in how opposing players began to perform against her team that year, which she attributes to the growing popularity.

“Because of the fans that we’ve gotten since 2024, with the increase in, I think the popularity with the Indiana Fever is like a name that people know. … And there’s a million Fever jerseys and Fever jerseys. I think as an opposing team, you want to win even more because you feel like there’s so many people,” Hull said.

“It’s exciting to have that type of following across the country, and I think just like any other team, they have great fans and great people that show up for them, and they want to perform for those people, just like we want to perform for ours.”

When asked if she thinks games have become more physical as a result, Hull said: “I think just the game itself is physical. I don’t know if it’s become more physical. I think social media amplifies a lot of that.

“I think people want to win. I think people just want to win… [The games] are all physical. … They all get cut at times. Calls are made, calls are not made. It’s just part of the game.”

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Indiana Fevers’ Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham look on as the Golden State Valkyries celebrate their 88-77 victory in 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, physicality boiled over into a brawl. After the sun guard Jacy Sheldon poked Clark in the eye and Sun colleague Marina Mabrey shoved Clark to the ground, Fever star Sophie Cunningham fouled Sheldon, sparking a fight on the field that resulted in three ejections.

When asked if she believes her team is prepared for a similar incident in 2026, Hull said: “It shouldn’t come to that point.”

Instead, Hull said she is 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 that much, didn’t have dreams of playing in the league at a young age, and now girls have the ability to see us, see us, dream of being professional athletes. And that’s what’s been the most rewarding part of it,” Hull said of the positives that come with the attention.

She came one game back to reach the WNBA Finals last year, leading the Fever through the playoffs after Clark and Cunningham were lost for the season with injuries. In a career-best year, Hull averaged 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 was average 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 back this year, the Fever enter 2026 as a top contender for the title.

“Tasting it and being so close and feeling like we have so much more to give, I think it just changes our mindset a little bit,” Hull said.

The trio of Clark, Cunningham and Hull proved an effective and attractive force in popularity when they were all on the field at the same time last year. Along the way, they acquired a mysterious nickname on social media that 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 fun.”

In terms of navigating the attention, Hull, Clark and their teammates now have two years of conditioning in that arena.

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Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull (10), Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham laugh near the bench on June 3, 2025 during a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN Syndication: The Indianapolis Star)

“I think everybody’s doing a really good job of not giving the attention any attention. I think we’re just showing up like 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 approach the game, is about our relationship, is about what we post on social media. It just adds to the engagement.”