"Just have to suck it up and play": Lexie Hull on recent injury scare, Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham and more (EXCLUSIVE) 

Initially, Lexie Hull’s teammates and coaches were startled by what they witnessed. Quickly, the Indiana Fever became inspired by what transpired.

Hull collided with Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams in a sequence that looked both painful and suggested the Fever’s crowded trainer’s room would become tighter.

Hull eventually returned to the court and played as if the giant knot on her forehead didn’t exist. Nearly three days later, Hull’s knot subsided only for two black eyes to emerge. The Fever didn’t become horrified over seeing Hull look as if she had entered the boxer’s ring, though.

“Honestly, we think her black eyes are gorgeous,” Fever center Aliyah Boston said. “It just adds to her.”

Hull has both laughed and expressed gratitude for those compliments. She sounded more amused than insecure about the attention for reasons beyond her self-confidence. She was not diagnosed with a concussion and said she didn’t have any limitations since the collision. Hence, Hull has insisted on fulfilling her job description as the Fever’s valued role player for her shooting and hustle plays.

“Our group is tough and resilient, and she epitomizes that in the way that she plays and how hard she plays and how hard she competes and her ability to make something out of nothing sometimes,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “I think she sets an example for our team. We’re fortunate that she’s part of our organization and am thankful that she was okay, most importantly.”

Ahead of the Fever’s 76-75 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, Hull spoke to Sportskeeda about playing through her recent injury and how she managed a broken nose during the 2023 season. Hull also touched on the Fever’s numerous injuries, including Caitlin Clark (right groin), Sophie Cunningham (right knee), Sydney Colson (left knee) and Aari McDonald (right foot). While Clark has missed the past 17 games, the Fever have ruled Cunningham, McDonald and Colsen out for the rest of the season.

Editor’s note: The following one-on-one conversation has been edited and condensed.

How are you holding up after your collision the other day?

Hull: “I’m normal. It feels normal. Honestly, I forget that I look like this. Then I look in the mirror and then I’m like, ‘Oh sh---! I actually do. I have two incredibly big black eyes.’ But I just forget about it. I just go out and play.”

Where does your toughness come from?

Hull: “I don’t know (laughs). I think I’m trying to be as impactful as I can. Whether there’s a knot on my head or I have black eyes, it really doesn’t matter. I think that’s something the team can expect from me: that’s a 100% effort every time I’m out there regardless of what’s going on personally. It’s team first and doing whatever I can for the team.”

What’s the toughest thing you’ve played through before this?

Hull: “I broke my nose so I played in a mask for half a season [in 2023]. I think every player goes through nagging injuries that might not keep you out, but you think about it or you notice it. There are always those things throughout the course of the season. So you just have to suck it up and play through it.”

How did you manage to gut it out through such painful injuries?

Hull: “Honestly, it’s really just about coming to do your job. It’s about coming to do what you can to help get a win for your team. That’s all of our main focus. We have it written in our locker room: ‘Standard over feelings.’ So our team standard is the most important thing, regardless of how you’re feeling on a given day. It’s team-first and doing what you can to help the team.”

Do you have to wear goggles on the court or face any other limitations?

Hull: “I’m good. I’m good. We’re just going to go out there as normal.”

There’s been so many injuries to the group this season. What have you tried to do to overcome this and adjust?

Hull: “Our entire team is about trying to fight the next day and ‘next man up.’ When we sat in our first team meeting, I don’t think any of us would’ve predicted what we had to go through in terms of injuries this year. So it’s really about putting one foot in front of the other and doing what you can. Every other player that we’ve brought in, even if they didn’t start on our team in training camp but they’re here now, they have that same mindset. They’re contributing in the best way we can expect from them. We feel really grateful that we’ve had people come in and contribute and help us win games.”

What has enabled you and the group to stay that way instead of feeling overwhelming with the adversity or feeling negatively about it?

Hull: “I think it’s the people off the court that we have on this team. Everyone is such a good person that we care about each other. We care about the well-being of one another. We want to do well on the court for each other, not just for ourselves. I think that’s helped us continue to fight in circumstances that people count us out in. I think more than anything, it’s about fighting for the person to our left and to our right.”

How have Caitlin’s spirits been during her injury?

Hull: “I’ve been impressed with her maturity through it. It’s not easy to go day-to-day and continue to think, ‘Maybe this is my day, maybe it’s not.’ But she continues to come in and be the person that she is. She’s funny and a jokester. She brings energy and a light to situations that could be really dark. So I think, more than anything, I’m just proud of her and her resiliency throughout this year. Hopefully we’ll see her back out there.”

What examples have impressed you the most?

Hull: “She just continues to show up. Every day, she is not in our film sessions. But she comes in and is part of the team and part of the group. She’s there. We know she’s there. She shows up, makes smiles and makes jokes. It would be really easy to just come in and do treatment and not be a happy person. But she’s a happy person through it all. We’re really grateful for that.”

How has Sophie been holding up?

Hull: “Good. It’s hard. Obviously, she brings a lot of energy to our team. So it’s hard not having her, Sydney and Aari. Not having them on these trips have definitely been a change. We definitely miss what they bring not only on the court, but off of it. But their energy has been good. We’ve been texts from them at halftime and they’re watching. They’re giving us their thoughts and their insights. Obviously, it’s different watching on TV and being in person. They’re locked in. They’re a part of this team just as much as anyone.”

What has the encouragement and support been like for you these past few days after the collision?

Hull: “It’s funny. It’s a funny position to be in when people give you a double take and are like, ‘Woah!’ (laughs). From the teammates that aren’t here, they’ve done a good job with instilling confidence in all of us. We’re just making sure that we have confidence and faith that we can get a win without certain players out on the court. It’s been an interesting ride these past couple of days.”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.