Lexie Hull’s recent clutch steal late in the game has sparked much more than just a win—it’s cast a spotlight on what she and the Indiana Fever believe is Caitlin Clark’s new lucky charm.

What began as a playful remark after Hall’s game‑sealing steal has evolved into a symbol of momentum, confidence, and the kind of locker‑room culture that might carry the Fever deep into the playoffs.

In the waning moments of their latest close game, with Indiana down by three and time slipping away, Lexie Hull sliced through the defense to claim a rebound and turn it into transition points.

It wasn’t just the steal itself that turned heads—it was what she said after. Hull quipped that Caitlin Clark’s black Air Force 1s, the shoes she wore to Game 3 in the first‑round series against the Atlanta Dream, were “working.”

Clark’s choice of footwear might seem trivial in the grand scheme of WNBA basketball, but teammates are serious when they say not to mess with momentum or an accessory that seems to bring it. After all, Indiana eked out an 87‑85 win, closing out the series on a razor’s edge.

Hull’s comment—“Bring ’em in her bag, wear ’em everyday”—captures how something small can feed into belief, calm nerves, and help the team trust in its own ability to finish games.

There’s history to the Fever leaning into talismans. Earlier in the season, Lexie Hull revealed that her fur‑baby Libby, her dog, was her own good‑luck charm before a game against the Mystics.

She made a light‑hearted announcement via TikTok: “She’s gonna bring us good luck today.” The Fever responded, breaking a three‑game losing skid, even without Clark or Sophie Cunningham.

The Clark colour‑way shoes moment echoes that pattern: when a ritual—or a superstition—takes hold, it becomes shared. It’s not just about the underdog pulling off something huge, but the narrative the team tells itself.

In this case, the shoes became a talisman for belief. They’re a visible reminder of a critical win under pressure, something for the team to lean on when tensions rise.

For Clark herself, this probably means more than just comfort or superstition. She’s already under immense pressure, being such a high profile player and a rookie of the year kind of talent.

Small anchors—comfort items, clothing, routines—can steady an athlete’s mindset when everything else is spinning. That the rest of the team, including Hull, is buying into this shows that they’re invested in more than just strategy—they’re invested in culture.

The effect on morale is real. When teammates believe in something together, even something quirky like “the lucky shoes,” it builds a quiet confidence. It pulls everyone into a shared moment of identity. For Indiana Fever, that identity—resilient, creative, unsentimental about mistakes but appreciative of small edges—is becoming more pronounced.

Critics might say this kind of talk is fluff. But in tight games, under fatigue, under crowd noise, what you believe can shape your body. Awareness, confidence, composure—all those mental states can gain an edge from ritual or symbols. So yes, Caitlin Clark’s black Air Force 1s may really be more than just casual footwear.

Looking ahead, the challenge for the Fever is to keep that energy grounded. Luck, charm, ritual—those help, but they can’t replace fundamentals: execution, discipline, rotations, conditioning. If Indiana treats this “lucky shoe” phenomenon as a boost rather than a substitute for hard work, it could underscore a deeper transformation.

Ultimately, that steal by Hull (and the celebration, the reference to Clark’s shoes) is symptomatic of a team turning a corner. They’re building belief, creating symbols of their breakthrough, and forging narratives that leaven the anxiety of playoff basketball.

If Indiana can ride this belief—keep the momentum, keep trusting in the small things that unite them—they might just find that these “lucky” charms help to swing more tight games in their favor. It’s not magic, but sometimes in sports, magic is just belief backed by action.

Would you like me to pull together an analysis of how these “lucky charms” might align with their playoff schedule, or compare similar phenomena with other teams?