The 2024 WNBA season is officially over, and with it, fans’ only hope for some stability in the Indiana Fever lineup is… well, over too. Now that the whistle has blown, players are packing their bags for Europe, Turkey, and, in Lexie Hull’s case, Miami, to continue their hoop dreams. The Fever guard, known for her sharp shooting and efficiency, has signed on with the brand-new Unrivaled Basketball league, where she’ll hoop it up in Miami, Florida, come January 2025.
Yes, that’s right – Miami! Cue the sunscreen, beach vibes, and… unbreakable humidity. Move over, Indiana snow!
Hull is coming off a career-best season with the Fever, boasting averages of 5.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. Not too shabby, right? In fact, she shot a solid 44.1% from the field and a blazing 47.1% from beyond the arc. (Translation for the stats-challenged: she’s got a silky jumper.) All these career highs and improved shooting percentages didn’t just pop out of thin air, though. Enter Caitlin Clark, rookie phenom and assist machine. Clark dished out a league-best 8.4 assists per game while piling on 19.2 points and 5.7 rebounds for herself. She practically hand-delivered the ball to Hull’s shooting pocket—like Amazon Prime, but with fewer late arrivals.
Together, Clark and Hull were the WNBA’s newest backcourt dynamic duo. They put the Fever back on the map, guiding the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and even securing the franchise’s first 20-win season in nearly a decade. But here’s where it gets juicy: just as fans were getting used to a taste of success, off-season deals started flying like confetti. Fellow Fever teammates Grace Berger and Erica Wheeler have already inked contracts overseas, with Berger heading to Turkey’s OGM Ormanspor and Wheeler signing with Nesibe Aydin Basketbol. And now, Hull’s off to Miami with Unrivaled Basketball. That’s right—Unrivaled, the new league in town that’s ready to give WNBA off-season life a little South Beach flair.
Hull’s decision to join the league’s inaugural season isn’t without intrigue. The Unrivaled Basketball league, set in the tropics of Miami, promises to be as much about the glitz as the game. Sure, Hull might find herself basking in beach breezes instead of Midwest blizzards, but the real question remains: Will she make waves on the court, or will the distractions of Miami nightlife take their toll? Can she find the same bond with new teammates that she built with Clark?
For Fever fans, the only cure for this separation anxiety may just be crossing fingers and hoping Hull returns with more tricks up her sleeve – and maybe a bit of a tan. And until then? Let’s just say the Fever’s fanbase has one more reason to keep their eyes on Miami this winter, hoping that Hull’s time in the sun translates to an even brighter return to the WNBA next season.