The Indiana Fever‘s Lexie Hull has shared the lasting effects of a head injury suffered earlier this week, revealing extensive bruising around both eyes following a collision during Tuesday’s win over the Seattle Storm on August 26.
The incident occurred in the first quarter when the guard knocked heads with Seattle’s Gabby Williams, sending both players to the floor in visible pain as Hull briefly exited the game to undergo treatment.
She later returned in the second quarter with a pronounced swelling above her forehead and speaking after the game, she described the immediate impact of the injury.
“I knew it was going to be big. It was literally sticking out,” Hull told IndyStar. “It’s still big right here, but it was bigger and I could see it.”
While the swelling on her forehead has since reduced, Hull has now developed what are commonly referred to as “raccoon eyes” – dark bruising surrounding both eyes that can persist for days or weeks following blunt trauma.
In a TikTok video posted Thursday, Hull pulled down her sunglasses to show fans the extent of the damage as she quipped: “Really funny you ask that, because it’s not doing great. I wish this was a filter.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, raccoon eyes result from broken blood vessels around the eyes following trauma to the head as blood pools in the eyelid tissue, leading to dark bruising that may resemble heavy makeup or discoloration.
Causes can range from minor incidents to severe injuries such as skull fractures, although the swelling on Hull’s forehead suggests multiple burst blood vessels.
However, her immediate return to action against Seattle and her clearance to continue indicate that she passed the WNBA’s concussion protocol and avoided any fracture.
Her availability for Friday’s matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks confirms that the injury, though visually severe, is not expected to sideline her.
The Fever currently find themselves in a tight playoff race, adding urgency to Hull’s return. Indiana sits just above the Sparks in the standings, making Friday’s game pivotal in the battle for one of the final postseason spots.
Caitlin Clark update: Will she play vs Sparks on Friday, August 29?
The franchise also awaits the return of star guard Caitlin Clark, who has missed 24 games this season with muscle injuries, including the last 15 due to a strained right groin.
And her head coach, Stephanie White, provided an update earlier this week, noting that Clark participated in a walk-through on Monday as part of her gradual return.
“She went through it yesterday,” White said. “I want to see her in practice. Live in practice.
“I want to see her continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact (for) 94 feet as it’s going to be in-game, and to be able to do that and sustain from an endurance standpoint.”
The Indiana Fever travel to Los Angeles on Friday, August 29, to meet the Sparks at Crypto.com Arena, with tipoff set for 7:00 PM local time.
Clark has not played since July 15, though she joined team activities during Sunday’s pregame shootaround in Minnesota.
In 13 appearances this season, the reigning Rookie of the Year has averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.0 rebounds.
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