Lexie Hull finds herself back in the swing of things with the Indiana Fever for the upcoming WNBA season, a return that nearly didn’t happen amid an offseason filled with uncertainty. Her journey back to Fever comes on the heels of a tumultuous period for the league, where fears loomed large over its very existence in 2026, driven by tense collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
Hull, a free agent during this uncertain time, witnessed firsthand the shadow of a potential lockout. However, a breakthrough in late March saw a new, lucrative agreement come to fruition, anchoring player salaries to the league’s revenue. This pivotal deal not only quelled fears of a lockout but also catalyzed a significant increase in the salary cap—from $1.5 million to an impressive $7 million by 2026. Teams suddenly found themselves with an abundance of financial flexibility, yet little time to strategize before the season’s commencement on May 8.
Reflecting on her offseason experiences, Hull described the process of engaging with other teams as surreal. Speaking with the Daily Mail during a period when her return to the Fever seemed probable but not assured, she recounted the whirlwind of communication with rival teams. “It’s honestly a crazy time,” she shared, detailing a day packed with calls from at least two competing franchises. “I have a call at 12 for free agency and another at 1:30.”
Hull elaborated on the uncertainty that permeated these discussions. “You can go into these meetings and say, well, what is the team gonna look like? And normally, they would have a good idea, but right now everything’s up in the air,” she explained. Her words underscore the unique challenges faced by players navigating this rapidly evolving landscape, where team compositions and strategies remain in flux.
‘It’s honestly a crazy time,’ she said on the morning of a day she where she would field calls from at least two other rivals. ‘I have a call at 12 for free agency and another at 1:30.
‘You can go into these meetings and say, well, what is the team gonna look like? And normally they would have a good idea, but right now everything’s up in the air.
Lexie Hull confirmed her Indiana Fever future in a TikTok alongside close friend Caitlin Clark
The pair have formed a close friendship since Clark arrived at the Fever back in 2024
Hull could have left in the offseason but agreed a lucrative new two-year contract
‘It’s funny. I’ve never talked to other teams and GMs or coaches about me. I’ll see them at games and they’ll say hi, but this is a different conversation. It’s fun.’
But Indiana is where Hull’s heart was and remains. She was a restricted free agent, meaning the Fever had the chance to match any offer she received and eventually, they struck terms on a two-year deal worth around $1.6m. To put that into context, she was paid just under $90k in 2025.
‘I have a home in Indiana and that is where I would love to be,’ she said before the deal was signed. And after putting pen to paper, she announced the news alongside Clark when they went on a trip to Augusta to watch Rory McIlroy win the Masters.
Hull quickly struck up a bond with Clark when the Fever drafted her in 2024, a huge moment that propeled the league into the spotlight after Clark’s stunning performances at college level with Iowa.
‘We connected the first day she got to Indiana, even on draft night,’ Hull says. ‘I think I reached out and was so excited that she was coming. I think from that moment on there was just an immediate friendship.
‘And with her being in Indiana during the offseason and her and her boyfriend and me and my fiance Will, it’s been an easy double date situation.’
Hull was drafted by the Fever two years before Clark, so is well placed to explain how much things have changed since she made the step from college in 2022. But even now, it’s easy to misunderstand just how rapid change has been.
‘I just remember my rookie year, we were flying commercial – that’s also been a great change – but we were all in our Fever sweatsuits and some guy came up and said “Go Hoosiers!” thinking we were the University of Indiana women’s basketball team,’ Hull recalls.
The pair recently headed to The Masters before practice camp for the new WNBA season
Hull said the she and fiance Will often go on double dates with Clark and her boyfriend
‘It’s like, we’re in the state of Indiana and you don’t know that we’re a WNBA team? So that part is just crazy, how different that is now.’
For all the attention Clark gets, from fans and rivals on the court who do whatever it takes to stop her, Hull reveals that behind closed doors she never shows signs of the pressure getting to her.
In fact, Hull says, she’s the ‘queen of silly’ in the Fever locker room.
‘She’s a great role model but more than anything, having her as a friend has been really great,’ Hull said. ‘What makes it so special for the team is everyone’s enjoying their time coming to work.
‘I’ve been on teams in seasons where everyone’s kind of walking on eggshells. You don’t want to act goofy because you want to be serious, you want people to feel locked in.
‘But I think we’ve been able to create a culture where you can come in and be yourself and be silly and be goofy at the same time, performing at your highest.
‘I think people perform their best when they’re their happiest, and that’s showing up every day exactly how you are without having to kind of subdue your silliness. I enjoy my job so much and first couple of years in the W, I don’t think I could have said that as confidently.
‘Everyone’s excited to hang out, so I’m really grateful to have a friend like that and, and be able to relate on so many things. But again, she’s probably the queen of the silly and the goofy. We’re really lucky to have her.’
Clark was also one of Hull’s biggest supporters during a personal landmark in the offseason, launching her very own Forta makeup beauty brand – designed to be worn during games.
Hull also launched her own makeup brand in the offseason after over two years of planning
‘Its surreal,’ she said, reflecting on the project coming to fruition. ‘I mean, over two years in the making. I’m so excited that we’re finally now at the starting line. We want to expand our demographic outside of just athletes.’
Hull held a launch party with her friends to mark the occasion but now, with her Fever future secure, training camp underway and Clark back to 100% health after an injury-plagued 2025 season, it’s time for basketball to return to center stage.
‘It’s crazy because I think so much about the offseason, you’re like, oh, it’s so long, it’s so long, it’s so long and then all of a sudden the season is right here,’ Hull says, before lighting up into a smile.
‘I think it’s going to be an amazing year.’
