Lexie Hull SHUTS DOWN Atlanta Dream – Indiana Fever ADVANCE To WNBA Semifinals!

The Indiana Fever are moving on. In front of a deafening Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd, second-year guard Lexie Hull delivered the performance of her young career to help slam the door on the Atlanta Dream and send Indiana to the WNBA semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade.

Hull’s impact was felt on both ends of the floor. Assigned to guard Atlanta’s top perimeter threats, she held them to a combined 5-for-19 shooting night, jumping passing lanes, cutting off drives and setting the tone for Indiana’s defense. Every time the Dream tried to mount a run, Hull was there with a timely deflection, a hard close-out or a big rebound. Her hustle plays drew roars from the home fans and visibly frustrated Atlanta’s scorers.

But Hull wasn’t just a stopper — she chipped in clutch offense as well. Late in the third quarter, with the Fever’s lead shrinking, she buried a corner three off a Caitlin Clark kick-out and then followed it with a transition layup that blew the game back open. That five-point swing energized Indiana’s bench and effectively broke the Dream’s momentum. By the final buzzer she had logged 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals — numbers that don’t fully capture her impact.

Head coach Stephanie White praised Hull’s maturity after the game. “Lexie has been doing the little things all season, and tonight she did all the big things too,” White said. “She embraced the challenge of guarding their best player, and she delivered huge shots at exactly the right moments. That’s what playoff basketball is about.”

The Fever as a whole looked like a team ready for the next stage. Clark orchestrated the offense with 11 assists and a pair of deep logo threes. Aliyah Boston dominated the paint, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Veteran Kelsey Mitchell provided a steady scoring punch and leadership down the stretch. But it was Hull’s grit and versatility that stood out as the X-factor.

For Atlanta, the loss marks a disappointing end to a promising season. Their young core showed flashes but couldn’t solve Indiana’s disciplined defense in the deciding game. Head coach Tanisha Wright admitted postgame that Hull’s energy “changed the tempo” and credited the Fever’s collective effort.

Indiana now advances to the semifinals with renewed confidence and a growing reputation as the league’s most exciting young team. They’ve combined star power with depth, and their defensive intensity is peaking at just the right time. If Lexie Hull continues to play at this level alongside Clark and Boston, the Fever could be a legitimate threat to reach the Finals.