Lexie Hull said her hamstring feels good as the Indiana Fever headed into their road game against the Los Angeles Sparks, a sign she is moving past the tightness that kept her out of every preseason game. Hull was cleared to play in the Fever's loss to the Dallas Wings and returned to action on a limited basis, finishing that game with 15 minutes.
That matters because Indiana opened the season trying to get pieces back on the floor after a 107-104 loss to Dallas and with more than one player being managed carefully. Hull's return gives the Fever another rotation option at a time when the team is still trying to settle its legs early in the year.
Hull said the team may still be on a bit of a minute restriction, but added that it feels good to be out there and “great to be back with the girls and get to play live.” She played 44 games for Indiana last season and averaged 7.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists, production that helped earn her a two-year extension worth $1.56 million during the offseason.
The Fever's official injury report listed no players, but the wider backdrop remains clear. Indiana's last season was heavily shaped by injuries, with Caitlin Clark limited to 13 games because of a right groin injury and other lower-body problems, while Sophie Cunningham missed the end of the year after tearing her MCL. That history explains why every healthy body matters now, even if the team is still being cautious with minutes.
Monique Billings offered a different kind of lift before the trip to Los Angeles, calling the game a homecoming at UCLA and saying she felt healthy and ready to go with her team. For Indiana, the test is no longer just getting players back. It is making sure they can stay on the floor long enough to build something from it.
