INDIANAPOLIS — In the closing seconds of a 92-89 Indiana Fever win on July 9, Lexie Hull checked into the game. Her mission: Defend Phoenix Mercury star Kahleah Copper on the Mercury’s final possession. Hull chased her matchup from the corner to the top of the key as Copper set a screen, then crashed the glass and kept Copper away from an offensive rebound.
Copper committed a foul battling for the board, and the Fever won the game after the ensuing free throws. Hull did her job on that play and finished the game with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting, including two makes from beyond the arc. It was her third straight game scoring in double figures and fifth consecutive performance with at least six shot attempts.
Hull then scored 4 total points in her next three games combined. She has only taken six shots in a game once since that night in Phoenix — in a win over the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday. In fact, she has taken just one or two shots in six of her last 15 outings.
Among players who have started at least 30 games this season, Hull’s 4.4 field goal attempts per game are the third-fewest. Only Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes and Las Vegas Aces forward Stephanie Talbot attempt fewer.
Yet that list is revealing. The Aces, Valkyries and Fever are all top-four teams in the league. They each have multiple stars in their starting lineup. Their team construction requires a defensive specialist to play heavy minutes. For the Fever, that’s Hull on the wing. It has been her role for most of her career.
Yet her recent numbers have dropped significantly from the opening weeks of the season. From opening night through that game in Phoenix — exactly two months of time — Hull shot 5.1 times per game. Of those, 44.2% went in, including 35.0% of her long-range looks. She played over 20 minutes per contest and notched 6.4 points per game.
Those are tidy numbers for a fifth-option starter. Since then? In 17.3 minutes per game, Hull is taking 3.3 shots per night. Just 38.8% of them have gone in, with 32.0% of her threes finding the net. That has led to her averaging 3.5 points per game in that span.
Playing next to stars Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell requires a smaller load for others. But things have been different for Hull of late, even her efficiency.
“I think it’s a role that’s going to continue to evolve. I know coming in that there are so many threats on the court, not even [just] the five that are out there, but the five that are coming in,” Hull told The IX Sports. “So it’s figuring out where I fit in the offense and just continuing to do the little things. I think that’s been my role this whole time is play good defense, play hard, and try to get extra possessions for the team and shoot the ball when it’s open.”
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It’s a tricky balance for Hull. Every player is in a better rhythm when they get touches. It’s easier to play within the flow of the offense when that flow involves each player. Right now, Hull is barely involved.
To her credit, Hull has never cared about touches. She has learned over the years that the WNBA is too competitive for that to be a focus. Instead, she locks in on her own strengths. She’s flexible with her role and tries to be a star in it, a piece of advice she heard often as a rookie.
She’s having to apply those tips more than ever right now as her shot attempts dip. It’s hard to find a flow, or consistent accuracy, with such few touches. But in Hull’s eyes, it’s for the better of the team.
The numbers support her belief, even as her numbers dwindle. While neither of these figures match the eye test, the Fever’s offense has been better this season with Hull on the court than off, per databallr, while their defense has been better with Hull on the bench.
Those numbers are a result of both Hull’s individual performance and the fact that she’s a member of Indiana’s high-powered starting five. But, to her credit, the numbers say she is an important part of that group’s function.
The Clark-Boston-Mitchell trio has played 213 minutes without Hull this season, and those minutes have been a 498-498 draw, per pbpstats. In the 367 minutes that star trio has played with Hull, the Fever are plus-98.
“Certainly, when you have Caitlin, Aliyah and Kelsey on the floor, they’re going to get a majority of the shots. It’s finding the gaps and the areas where she can make herself available,” head coach Stephanie White said of Hull’s evolving, yet shrinking, role. White has seen more aggressive decisions from Hull recently when it comes to cutting, playing in transition and hitting the glass.
“In that starting group, a lot of it’s going to be cutting. … We saw that from her a year ago. I think it’s something she can get back to,” White added. “The thing I’m most proud [of] about Lexie is she’s not getting caught up in that [and] she still does what she does in terms of play hard, be active on the defensive [end]. … She’s one of those [players] that you can play with any combination.”
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The Fever lead the league in offensive rating this season at 114.9 points scored per 100 possession. Since that July 9 game, Hull’s last double-digit scoring night? That number is 120.3. Basically every statistic points to the fact that Hull’s decrease in production has benefited the team.
Her defense hasn’t come with as many signature moments in that span, but she is still often tasked with an All-Star matchup. One thing has been steady about Hull’s season: She gets those difficult assignments.
And that is where she draws her energy from in the absence of as many touches. Most players feel energy when they touch the ball. Hull has learned how to draw that spirit from other parts of the game.
“Getting stops, cheering for my teammates, crashing, getting offensive boards,” Hull explained of the plays that give her life in games. “Doing the little things that sometimes don’t necessarily show up in the stat book or aren’t the things that people are getting highlights about. But it’s those little things that win games.”
And in Hull’s eyes, her shifting approach toward taking fewer shots and being slightly less involved helps her star teammates. In part aided by Mitchell’s current scoring tear, the Boston-Mitchell-Clark trio is averaging 67.2 points per game since July 9. It was averaging 60.3 before that date.
“There’s only so many shots, right? And we have incredible offensive weapons, and we want to use the best weapons on the court,” Hull said. “So at certain times it’s going to be different people, but I think having … supporting people that do the right thing and get the ball in the right people’s hand, I think that’s important for sure.”
Since her rookie year, Hull has become a more confident player. A lot of that has come from winning — the Fever were an awful team in her first season but have been much better in the last three years. She’s now playing to help her team achieve victory instead of having to worry about keeping a job.
That means less touches and fewer stats. On paper, though, it’s helping the Indiana Fever — and specifically the team’s stars — play better basketball.
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