INDIANAPOLIS — Central Valley’s Lexie Hull was one of the biggest shocks of the WNBA Draft on Monday when the Indiana Fever selected her sixth overall.
No mock draft had her going higher than the second round going into the night.
"We heard Stanford guard, and everyone started screaming. My jaw dropped. I was in shock. It was the best moment ever,” said Lexie Thursday about when she got drafted in her first WNBA press conference.
It’s safe to say Spokane screamed too.
Hull became tied for the highest WNBA draft pick from Spokane ever with the selection.
She’s certainly felt the love from this area over the last few days and is proud to hold the highest-ever WNBA draft pick honor with Lewis and Clark alum Briann January.
“Spokane is home for me, and I’m so proud to be able to call it home. The amount of people that have reached out, the amount of support I feel the past couple days, and even my entire time at Stanford, was unmatched. To be able to bring that back to Spokane, I just feel really special about it, and hopefully bring back another championship too,” said Lexie.
If you know Hull, you know she’s serious about that.
In high school she was a two-time state champion and a high school national champion.
Then all she did was go on to college and win a national championship.
She says she thinks her winning DNA will mesh well with a Fever organization in desperate need of dubs.
Indiana hasn’t had a winning season since 2016.
“I remember in my first talk with them I asked, ‘What are you guys looking for in a player?’ When they explained it, I felt like I was checking off a lot of those boxes. They wanted someone who was competitive, who hated to lose, who worked hard every possession, and then who could shoot the ball,” said the Central Valley alum.
Lexie could particularly help the Fever in three-point shooting as the team averaged only 28.4% from beyond the arc last season. In contrast, Lexie averaged 39.3% from three last year with Stanford.
Of the Fever’s draft class, only point guard Destanni Henderson has a higher shooting percentage from three and just barely, as she averaged hitting 39.9% of her threes last season.
Speaking of that class, it’s a large one, as the Fever drafted seven players on Monday. Lexie sees that as a positive.
“I think it’s that much more exciting because we, as a draft class, can have an impact this season unlike other teams. That ability, that opportunity excites me a lot. I’m just excited to shock the league because the league doesn’t know our team. They don’t know the Fever right now because we’re all new,” said Hull.
However, Lexie will certainly have to compete with those rookies to make the Fever’s roster.
The team currently has 22 players signed to training camp, with only 12 roster spots.
Getting drafted is big, but Lexie knows her battle to make it in the WNBA is just beginning.
“I think just coming in with that mindset that you can’t take anything for granted. I knew declaring for the draft that the draft was super exciting, super important, but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t secure you a spot on a team. It doesn’t secure you playing time. It’s what we do when we get out on the court that matters, so I’m excited to compete and get out there and play,” said Hull.
