Fever’s Lexie Hull says online personal attacks have gone too far

that it Different now. Arenas are becoming louder, opposing players are more motivated, and social media is more volatile.

“The most challenging part is that there’s a lot of scrutiny,” Hull told Fox News Digital about what’s toughest about playing in Indiana since 2024. “People have opinions online, and unfortunately, that’s part of the job and the role that we play.”

“People need to know that everyone is human. We are real people. I think when things get out of proportion, when things get really personal and there are personal attacks on people’s character, I think that’s where things cross the line.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Lexi Hall, left, and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever during a game against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena on June 27, 2024, in Seattle. (Steve Chambers/Getty Images)

When asked if she had been subjected to personal attacks online, Hall said: “I sure have. I try not to read comments for that reason.”

Much of the controversial social media discourse around the Fever stems from heated moments on the field over the past two seasons. Clark W Fever lovers She often expressed anger at times when an opposing player fouled her or made a physical play on Clark without calling a foul.

Hull was drafted by the Fever in 2022 and played two full seasons in a quieter and less crowded Gainbridge Fieldhouse than the season it played in the previous two years, falling short of the playoffs in both years.

But when Clarke was drafted in 2024, Hull became the center of the women’s basketball world.

Hull says she noticed a difference in the way opposing players went about their performances against her team that year, which she attributes to increased popularity.

“Because of the crowds that we’ve had since 2024, with the popularity of the Indiana Fever going up, I think, like the name that people know. … And there’s a million Fever shirts and Fever T-shirts. I think, as a competing team, you want to win more because you feel like there’s a lot of people rooting for it,” Hull said.

“It’s exciting that we have this kind of following across the country, and I think, like other bands, they have great fans and great people who show up for them, and they want to perform for those people, just like we want to perform for our team.”

When asked if she thinks gaming has become more physical as a result, Hall said: “I think the game itself has just become physical. I don’t know if it’s gotten more physical. I think social media amplifies a lot of that.”

“I think people want to win. I think people just want to win. … (The games) are all physical. … They all get choppy at times. Calls get made, calls don’t get made. That’s just part of the game.”

Sophie Cunningham Fever drops her take on “Nobody Loves Us” as Indiana deals with adversity

Lexi Hall, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Favors watch as the Golden State Valkyries celebrate an 88-77 win in a WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on June 19, 2025. (Scott Strazanti/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

During a match between The Fever and the Connecticut Sun on June 17, physicality turned into a brawl. After Sun Guard Jesse Sheldon By stabbing Clark in the eye Fellow Suns player Marina Mabrey pushed Clarke to the ground, and Fever star Sophie Cunningham committed a foul on Sheldon, starting an on-court fight that led to three ejections.

When asked if she thought her team was prepared for a similar incident in 2026, Hall said: “It shouldn’t get to that point.”

Instead, Hull said she is focused on helping her team win the championship. It receives all the attention and popularity despite the challenges that accompany it.

“Growing up, I didn’t necessarily watch the WNBA a lot, and I didn’t have dreams of playing in the league at a young age, and now the girls have the ability to watch us, see us, and dream of being professional athletes. And that’s the most rewarding part about it,” Hull said of the positives that come with the attention.

She came one game away from reaching the WNBA Finals last year, leading the Fever through the playoffs after Clark and Cunningham were lost for the season to injuries. In the best year of his career, Hull set career highs in points (7.2), rebounds (4.3), and assists (1.8) while shooting 36.7% from 3-point range and appearing in all 44 games.

In the playoffs, it was average 10.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 8 games. It all ended with a 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals.

With Clarke and Cunningham healthy and back this year, the Fever enter 2026 as top title contenders.

“Tasting that and being so close and feeling like we have a lot to offer, I think that changes our mentality a little bit,” Hull said.

The trio of Clarke, Cunningham and Hall proved to be an effective and popular force when they were all on the field at the same time last year. Along the way, they earned a mysterious nickname on social media, which they later adopted for themselves — “Tres Leches,” which translates from Spanish to “three milks” and refers to a sponge cake popular in Latin America.

“We saw it on Twitter at some point, and people ran with it,” Hull said of the nickname. “It was funny.”

In terms of getting attention, Hull, Clark and their teammates now have two years of conditioning in that arena.

Click here to download the FOX NEWS app

Indiana Fever guard Lexi Hull, 10, Indiana Fever guard Kaitlin Clark and Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham laugh near the bench on June 3, 2025, during a game against the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN Association: Indianapolis Star)

“I think everyone is doing a really good job of not giving any attention to the growing interest. I think we’re showing the same thing we do every day,” Hull said.

“Knowing that there are more eyes on us, knowing that there are more seats in the stands, all of that is exciting, but I don’t think that necessarily changes the way we play the game, or handle our relationships, or handle what we post on social media. It just adds to the engagement.”

Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on X And subscribe to Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.