Caitlin Clark and Lexie Hull became friends off court. Now, Hull is having a career year

Like most WNBA fans, Lexie Hull consumes a lot of Caitlin Clark content.

Any time Clark breaks a record, says something interesting or, like, sneezes, Hull is made aware.

But when Hull, Clark and Katie Lou Samuelson traveled with their boyfriends (in Samuelson’s case, husband) to Mexico for a much-needed beach vacation during the WNBA Olympic break, Hull learned something new about Clark.

The No. 1 pick of the 2024 draft and the overwhelming favorite to win Rookie of the Year is . . . funny.

Goofy, even. A prankster.

“She loves to stir up some trouble, that’s for sure. If you need a laugh, she’ll get it done for you,” Hull told USA TODAY Sports.

What’s more, Hull’s friendship with Clark, and the on-court chemistry that’s resulted from it, could be a difference-maker going into the WNBA playoffs.

The Fever, who haven’t been to the postseason since 2016, start their playoff journey Sunday at Connecticut in the first of a three-game series vs. the Sun. The Fever are the sixth seed, and have won nine of their last 13 games. Everyone knows what they’re going to get with Clark (19.2 ppg, 8.4 apg) , 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston (14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg) and two-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell (19.2 ppg).

But Hull’s rise this season has been the most impressive and, in many ways, the most surprising.

The No. 6 pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft, Hull was a starter most of last season. Many thought that would change with the addition of Clark, who was predicted to go No. 1 in 2024 as soon as the Fever secured the top pick last December. When Indiana made it official on April 15, a video of Hull, Erica Wheeler and Maya Caldwell celebrating — and immediately putting on No. 22 red Fever jerseys — went viral.

Hull knew her role might change, but she embraced the opportunity to play with someone who rewrote the college record books.

“I want to play with the best players and I want to win games,” Hull said. “Having her on your team makes your team better. I watched her in college and I was really impressed with her playmaking. Honestly, I was more excited about her passing ability than her scoring. I was excited to get out and run and make cuts, because I knew she’d find me.”

That they clicked and immediately became good friends was a bonus.

And yet, even Hulls admits the first few weeks of the season were rough.

Out of the rotation early — she did not leave the bench in six of the Fever’s first 21 games — Hull got hot after the Olympic break. On Aug. 18, Indiana’s second game back after the month-long pause, Hull came off the bench and drained six of her seven 3-point attempts in a 92-75 win over Seattle.

“It was frustrating because I was in the gym every single day, but I felt like my performance wasn’t matching up with the amount of work I was putting in,” she said. “So getting to the point where I could just let it fly felt so good. Things were finally clicking, and that definitely changes the feeling of the game on both ends of the floor.”

After that game, Clark posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter, “This is now a Lexie Hull fan account.”

She’s been on a roll ever since. Hull was inserted into the starting lineup Aug. 28; Indiana has gone 6-3 with her in the first five. She’s second in the WNBA in 3-point percentage, connecting on 47.1% of her attempts from long range. She’s 24-of-38 post-Olympics, an eye-popping 63.2%.

Hull’s confidence has clearly skyrocketed the second half of the season. That’s especially true when she’s on the floor with Clark, whose belief in Hull is obvious every time she feeds her the ball on the perimeter.

“I think there is a lot of confidence from her, but also, she has high expectations for everyone,” said Hull, who is often seen laughing on the bench with Clark. “She’s creating a lot of shots. We get open looks because of how much attention she draws, and when she does give up the ball, we get open shots. And when you knock those down, it gives you confidence.”

Clark sees the difference in Hull, too.

“What she brings for us is a tenacity, especially on the defensive end,” Clark said. “She’s gonna be the one diving on the floor. She’s gonna be the one chasing the best player all over the court. And she’s obviously worked really hard on her shot as well. The way she’s been able to shoot the ball since the Olympic break is incredible. I think it’s added a whole other dynamic for us. “

Hull credits the month off for giving her, and others, a chance to build a relationship with Clark away from basketball. Based on past experiences, Hull knew camaraderie in the locker room could translate to games.

“I think even when I look at back at our success at Stanford, a lot that came from really caring about each other and building those friendships off the court,” said Hull, who helped the Cardinal to the 2021 NCAA title.

From 1,800 miles away, even Kate Martin, Clark’s teammate at Iowa who now plays for the Las Vegas Aces, noticed Hull’s improved play — and suspected Clark’s friendship had something to do with it. Clark’s ability to infuse her teammates with confidence, Martin said, is a game-changer.

“The best part of her game is her ability to make her teammates better,” Martin said. “When you’re that great of a player and that confident, other people start to believe it (about themselves) too.”

At Iowa, Martin said she often felt Clark knew how good she could be before Martin realized it herself. Martin might be surprised that she made a WNBA roster, but Clark predicted it would happen.

Indiana coach Christie Sides has seen it, too. She said for all of Clark’s accomplishments, her ability to elevate her teammates is “what separates her.”

The surge in confidence for Hull hasn’t just impacted her offensive production, either. Hull is often assigned to guard the opponent’s best perimeter player, and known for hustle plays that typically don’t show up on a stat sheet.

Since her resurgence mid-August Hull has made some sort of late pivotal play — knocking down a big shot, grabbing a key defensive rebound, deflecting a critical pass or taking a charge — in nearly every close Fever contest. TV analyst Debbie Antonelli, who has called every Indiana game this season, described her play on air recently as “vintage Lexie Hull.”

For the Fever, it couldn’t come at a better time.

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark, Lexie Hull friendship is paying off for Indiana Fever