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 came to town.

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

“The most challenging part is that there is a lot of scrutiny. People have opinions online and, unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role we play,” Hull told Pak Gazette Digital about what’s toughest to play in Indiana from 2024.

“People need to know that we’re all human. We’re real people. I think when things get over the top, 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 had 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 social media discourse about the Fever comes from heated moments on the pitch over the past two seasons. Clark and Fever fans often expressed outrage at times when an opposing player fouled Clark or made a physical play against Clark without a foul being called.

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

But when Clark was selected in the 2024 draft, the Hull 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 rise in popularity.

“Because of the fans we’ve had since 2024, with the rise in popularity, I think Indiana Fever is like a name that people know… And there’s a million Fever t-shirts and t-shirts. I think as an opposing team, you’d want to win even more because you feel like there’s so many people rooting for you,” Hull said.

“It’s exciting to have that kind of fan base across the country, and I think other teams have great fans and great people who perform for them, and they want to perform for those people, just like we want to perform for ours.”

Asked if he 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 that a lot.

“I think people want to win. I think people just want to win… [The games] They are all physical. …Everyone gets irritable sometimes. Calls are made, calls are not made. “That’s just part of the game.”

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Lexie Hull, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fevers watch 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 match between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun on June 17, physicality turned into a fight. After Sun Guard Jacy Sheldon He punched Clark in the eye. and fellow Sun player Marina Mabrey pushed Clark to the ground, Fever star Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon, starting a fight on the court that resulted in three ejections.

Asked if he thinks his team is prepared for a similar incident in 2026, Hull said: “It shouldn’t get 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 as much, I didn’t dream of playing in the league at a young age, and now girls have the ability to watch us, see us, dream about being professional athletes. And that’s the most rewarding part of this,” Hull said of the positive aspects that come with the attention.

She came within one game of reaching the WNBA Finals last year, leading the Fever to the playoffs after Clark and Cunningham missed the season with injuries. In the best year of his career, 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 he averaged 10.3 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in 8 games. It all came to an end 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 head into 2026 as a top title contender.

“To taste that and to be so close and feel like we have a lot more to give, I think that changes our mindset a little bit,” Hull said.

The trio of Clark, Cunningham and Hull proved to be an efficient and driving force in popularity when they were all on the court at the same time last year. Along the way, they earned a mysterious nickname on social media, which they later adopted: “Tres Leches,” which translates from Spanish to “three milks” and refers to a popular Latin American sponge cake.

“We saw it on Twitter at some point and people followed it,” Hull said of the nickname. “It was fun.”

In terms of getting attention, Hull, Clark and their teammates now have two years of conditioning on that field.

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

“I think everyone is doing a really good job of not paying attention to the increased attention. I think we’re just showing up the same as 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 that necessarily changes the way we approach the game, our relationships, what we post on social media. It just increases engagement.”