The Indiana Fever’s loss against the Phoenix Mercury put them on the verge of an early exit in the 2025 Season. The side is hanging on to a single-game advantage over the ninth-placed Los Angeles Sparks. Talking about the reasons for the loss, forward Lexie Hull pinpointed the defensive lapses in the game.
The Fever team had been struggling throughout the season with injuries and consistency issues. Earlier in the week, Hull spoke about the devastating injuries to star players that impacted the season.
Lexie Hull Highlights Defensive Lapses
The Indiana Fever had their playoff destiny in their hands and needed a win in their recent two games to ascertain their place in the final eight for the playoffs. Sadly, they lost both games. They struggled offensively against the Golden State Valkyries, scoring 63 points in the game, while against the Mercury, their defense let them down.
The Fever forward highlighted the point in the post-game interview. And pinpointed the exact moment when the ide lost the game.
“I was just going to say, heading into halftime, I think there was a timeout with like two minutes left, and then that was about the time they went on that run. And I think for us, it was just those lapses of focus on our defensive game plan,” Hull said in the interview.
She added that Mercury is a good team and is able to take advantage of such lapses. Statistically, the second quarter hurt the Fever most in the game. The Mercury scored 29 points while the Fever had 16 points. This 13-point difference put the Fever team under pressure; though they outscored the Mercury in the second half, they lost the game by six points.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
One positive to look out for regarding the fever is Caitlin Clark’s progress in recovery. She participated in the team practice ahead of the game against the Mercury, but has yet to confirm the return date.
Lexie Hull Delivered Against Phoenix Mercury
Even though the team suffered a loss against the strong Phoenix Mercury team, the only encouraging thing in the game was the former Stanford player’s scoring spree. The player made her name with her solid second-half performance in the 2024 season, banking in long shots for the side.
Also, in the 2025 season, she continues to drain the ranged shots and provide scoring punch to the team’s progress. In the game against the Mercury, she scored 18 points with 46% accuracy. She drained three three-pointers, showing her touch from the range.
HC Stephanie White hopes to see more from the star forward to take some of the load off Kelsey Mitchell, who is single-handedly trying to win games with her explosive scoring.