The Indiana Fever‘s final matchup of the WNBA season against the Chicago Sky was missing two of the league’s brightest young stars.
Caitlin Clark remained sidelined with lingering injuries, while Chicago forward Angel Reese was suspended due to an accumulation of technical fouls.
But even without the Clark-Reese showdown that had been hyped all summer, Friday’s contest still carried enormous playoff stakes for Indiana, and it was one of Clark‘s teammates, Lexie Hull, who found herself at the center of attention.
Hull has quietly become one of the Fever’s toughest players this season, but her resilience has come at a visible cost.
From black eyes to busted lips, Hull‘s face has become a testament to the physical grind of professional basketball.
Over the past two weeks, Hull has endured a string of painful incidents. On August 24, she took an elbow to the face from Minnesota Lynx All-Star Kayla McBride.
Days later, she clashed heads with Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams, which left her with two black eyes that quickly went viral online.
Her bad luck didn’t stop there. In Friday’s critical matchup against the Sky, Hull drove to the basket in the first quarter and was smacked in the face by Chicago center Kamilla Cardoso.
She collapsed to the floor, clutching her face, but to the frustration of Fever players and fans alike, no foul was called on the play.
Hull eventually got up, but it became clear she had a bloody lip. During a pause in the action, Indiana staff hurried over to wipe away the blood while Hull stayed in the game, showing the same toughness she has all season.
Caitlin Clark’s fiery reaction
Although sidelined, Clark was quick to spring to her teammate’s defense. Broadcast cameras captured her yelling toward the officials: “She’s bleeding, she got hit right in the face!”
Her frustration echoed the feelings of many Fever supporters, who have watched Hull take hit after hit without seeing consistent whistles from referees.
A clip of the moment, posted by X user @nosyone4, quickly circulated online, with fans praising Clark for sticking up for Hull even though she couldn’t play.
Fever’s battle-tested identity
Hull‘s string of injuries and facial bruises symbolize the gritty identity of the Fever as they fight for playoff survival.
The team has been forced to grind through injuries and adversity all year, with Clark’s absence down the stretch making the task even harder.
Still, the effort and toughness displayed by Hull, and the support from Clark on the bench, highlight just how much this group is willing to sacrifice.
For Hull, it’s been raccoon eyes one week and a bloody lip the next. For Clark, it’s a reminder that even if she can’t take the floor, her voice can still rally her team. And for the Fever, it’s proof that this roster won’t back down, no matter how bruising the battle becomes.
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