"Stay on the ground": Sophie Cunningham's comic advice to Lexie Hull spotlight their blooming friendship

Sophie Cunningham hyped up Lexie Hull with a hilarious message during the Indiana Fever's Game 1 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Hull's defensive brilliance and willingness to put her body on the line bode well for the Fever as Stephanie White's team landed the first punch in the WNBA semifinals.

Cunningham appreciated Hull's effort on the court and complimented the former Stanford forward during one of the timeouts. The injured Fever guard chose humorous words to keep her teammate motivated, which even drew a smile from Hull.

"Keep playing great defense, stay on the ground," Cunningham told Hull.

Lexie Hull took Sophie Cunningham's advice and applied intense defensive pressure on the Aces. She even frustrated the much-taller A'ja Wilson by using her physicality, clearly rattling the Aces MVP. Hull’s disruptive defense even forced Wilson to shove the Fever forward to the floor in an attempt to create space.

Hull has cemented herself as one of the league’s top 3-and-D players this season. While her shooting has been inconsistent since the second half of the season, she has made several game-winning defensive plays, including the game-winning steal in Game 3 against the Atlanta Dream.

Fans react to Sophie Cunningham's message to Lexie Hull

Social media seldom misses any moment involving the Indiana Fever players, especially when it involves Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull. As soon as the video of the hilarious exchange between Cunningham and Hull surfaced, Fever fans stormed the internet and made their feelings crystal clear.

A fan said:

Lenny 🇱🇧❤️‍🔥🧡

@lynnramadan3

Doesn’t she get tired. She’s gassed after every game but keeps giving it 113%. I love this team man. Even when they don’t play well. They put their bodies on the line and the effort is always there on defense no matter what is going on on offense

Another added:

dd090146

@7dgd77

Sisters more ways then one!

A fan said:

CTR36

@Christo36073576

What else would you say to Superwoman?

Another wrote:

jp

@Johnp28209134

Agree, defense let’s go today ladies

Meanwhile, the camaraderie between Cunningham and Hull has grown stronger this season. The two players boast similar skill sets, and when Cunningham was fit and healthy, she started over Hull in the lineup. With Cunningham sidelined, Hull has continued to do a tremendous job amid Indiana's inspirational playoff run.