Lexie Hull is once again on the injury report for the Fever, listed as probable with a back injury. The Fever are set to host the Las Vegas Aces for Game 3 of the WNBA Semi-Finals on Friday night.
Key Fever starter could miss Game 3 against Aces
Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull continues to deal with a back injury.
Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Hull has been critical to Indiana’s success this season, particularly in the wake of mounting injuries that include guards Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and Sydney Colson all being sidelined for the season. She averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals during the regular season, appearing in all 44 games.
In the postseason, those numbers have increased. The 26-year-old guard is averaging 9.4 points, tied with Natasha Howard for the Fever’s fourth-leading scorer.
Defensively, Hull’s impact has also been critical. She’s often tasked with matching up against opposing teams’ top perimeter players. In the decisive Game 3 against the Atlanta Dream, Hull was responsible for the game-winning steal that punched the Fever’s ticket to the Semi-Finals.
At practice on Thursday, head coach Stephanite White shared a positive update on Hull’s status: “I anticipate her being ready unless there’s any sort of setback,” White said, per IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson.
Other Indiana Fever players would have to step up in Hull’s absence
Lexie Hull was also on the injury report ahead of Tuesday’s blowout loss to the Acet, but she ultimately hit 5 three-pointers en route to 15 points. She was seen on the bench using a heat pad, but didn’t seem limited on the floor, diving for loose balls and playing aggressively on both ends.
If she’s a late scratch, the Fever will rely on Kelsey Mitchell even more heavily. Mitchell, who was named one of five MVP finalists, is averaging 23.4 points per game these playoffs, the second-most among WNBA players.
Starting point guard Odyssey Sims, whom the Fever initially acquired last month via hardship contract, will also shoulder even more of an offensive load. Sims has been the Fever’s second-leading scorer these playoffs, tallying 13.2 points and 5 assists per game.
The Fever will look to take a 2-1 lead over the Aces on Friday, though four-time MVP A’ja Wilson, who has been the postseason’s most dominant player, will look to prevent that from happening.
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