In September, the Indiana Fever got their first shot at a WNBA playoff run since 2016. They fell in two games to the Connecticut Sun, but put up a tough fight against the experienced Sun roster. A key part of the Fever’s playoff run is veteran guard, Lexie Hull. This was Hull’s third season with the Fever, and she has become an integral part of the team over the years. We caught up with Hull to talk about how she stayed prepared and motivated this season, even when her role was unknown.
Trusting the Process When Your Role is Unknown
As the number six overall draft pick in 2022 and a standout player throughout her collegiate career at Stanford, Hull knows what it takes to get to the top and pursue excellence in her game. As a younger player in the league, Hull had to work hard to prove her skills and earn playing time. We all know how difficult it can be to stay motivated even when we aren’t getting the playing time we want. We asked Hull how she stayed motivated to keep working hard even when she wasn’t getting ideal playing time on the Fever.
“It is important to make sure you are buying into the process. You never know when your number is going to be called. I always made sure to put in the work so that when it was called I was ready,” Hull says. This hard work paid off, as Hull moved from averaging around 10 minutes per game at the beginning of the season to 30-40 minutes during the latter half of the season. Hull was a critical component of the Fever’s starting five during their playoff run and her season proves the importance of buying into the process of becoming a better player.
“It is important to make sure you are buying into the process. You never know when your number is going to be called.”
Staying Mentally Prepared
Our mental preparation is equally important as our physical preparation so that we can be ready when our numbers are called. Trusting in our training, and having a clear head going into competition, helps us to play free and focus on the task at hand. We asked Hull how she stayed mentally prepared through the ups and downs of her season.
“Really focusing on the scout and what we’re going to do in that game helped me. Every game is a little different, so just making sure I am as prepared as possible for that game,” she says. Hull understands how adaptable we have to be, especially at higher levels like the WNBA. Every opponent we face will be different, and our roles might also change from game to game. Breaking it down and really focusing on each game separately has helped Hull stay locked in and mentally prepared for anything that came her way this season.
Hull’s journey with the Fever highlights the importance of trusting the process, preparation, and adaptability as an athlete. Her perseverance and dedication were key to her rise as a critical member of the Fever’s starting five. By utilizing Hull’s tips, we can make sure we stay ready for when our number gets called.
