The Indiana Fever are marching on to the WNBA semifinals, and their victory over the Atlanta Dream will be remembered not only for the grit and resilience of the team but also for the standout performance of Lexie Hull.

Known more for her shooting and hustle, Hull cemented her reputation as one of the fiercest defenders in the league by shutting down Atlanta’s top options at the most critical moments.

From the opening tip, the Dream tried to establish their offense through Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray, hoping to set the tempo on their home floor. But every time Howard touched the ball, Hull was there, sticking to her like glue, contesting every shot, and denying clean looks. The Dream’s offensive rhythm, so effective earlier in the series, looked rattled under Hull’s relentless defensive pressure.

The first half was a back-and-forth slugfest. Atlanta relied on bursts of scoring to keep their crowd engaged, but Indiana’s balance carried them through. Aliyah Boston muscled her way to points inside, Caitlin Clark facilitated the offense with crisp passing, and Kelsey Mitchell delivered timely buckets when the shot clock wound down.

Still, it was Hull’s defense that prevented the Dream from gaining real momentum, forcing them into tough shots and turnovers that kept the game within Indiana’s control.

In the third quarter, Atlanta mounted what looked like a decisive run. Howard began to heat up, and the Dream threatened to pull away. The Fever called a timeout, regrouped, and came out with Hull once again taking center stage defensively.

She shadowed Howard possession after possession, denying her the ball and disrupting her rhythm. Hull’s discipline kept the Dream from exploiting mismatches, and the tide began to turn.

The defining stretch came in the fourth quarter. With the game on the line and the Dream looking for a spark, Hull completely erased Gray’s impact. She read passing lanes, tipped balls away, and forced Atlanta into rushed, low-percentage attempts. Every defensive stand fueled Indiana’s confidence, and the Fever began to surge offensively.

A Lexie Hull steal followed by a fast-break layup brought the Fever bench to its feet, and suddenly the Dream found themselves chasing the game rather than dictating it.

Caitlin Clark, while not the leading scorer on the night, played her role to perfection. Trapped and pressured throughout, she embraced the facilitator’s role, finding Boston for easy buckets and setting up Hull for open looks. Her energy on the sideline was just as vital, celebrating Hull’s defensive stops as if they were game-winning shots. For all the talk of Clark being Indiana’s sole engine, this game proved the Fever are deeper, stronger, and more balanced than critics realize.

Boston’s inside dominance also deserves recognition. She punished Atlanta’s frontcourt with her physicality, controlling the glass and converting through contact. Every rebound seemed to tilt momentum toward the Fever, and her ability to finish in the paint gave Indiana the steady scoring presence they needed. Together with Hull’s defense, Boston formed a one-two punch that Atlanta simply couldn’t solve.

Atlanta, meanwhile, struggled to find answers. Howard’s brilliance shone in flashes, but Hull’s pressure wore her down. Gray’s aggressive drives were met with walls of defenders, and the Dream’s supporting cast couldn’t generate enough offense to keep pace. By the final minutes, their frustration was visible — missed shots, hurried passes, and a silence settling over what had once been a roaring crowd.

The Fever’s closing stretch was a showcase of composure. Hull knocked down a key jumper to stretch the lead, Mitchell sank free throws under pressure, and Boston controlled the boards to close out possessions. When the buzzer sounded, Indiana players poured onto the court, celebrating a victory that wasn’t just about advancing, but about proving they could thrive in high-pressure playoff basketball.

Hull’s performance was the story of the night. She didn’t just contribute offensively — she set the tone defensively in a way that swung the entire game. Fans and analysts alike took to social media to praise her effort, with one viral post declaring, “Lexie Hull just gave a masterclass in playoff defense.” Her ability to neutralize Atlanta’s stars was the difference between elimination and advancement.

The Fever’s advancement to the semifinals marks a turning point for the franchise. Long dismissed as a rebuilding team, they now look like legitimate contenders. With Clark’s star power, Boston’s dominance, Mitchell’s scoring, and Hull’s defensive tenacity, the Fever are building a reputation as the league’s scrappiest, most resilient squad. They don’t just rely on talent — they rely on toughness and teamwork, the qualities that win playoff series.

For Atlanta, the loss will sting. They had the talent, they had the home court, but they couldn’t overcome Indiana’s resilience. Howard and Gray will shoulder much of the blame, but it was Hull’s shadow defense that left them with little room to breathe. For a team that thrived on offensive explosiveness all year, being held down at home was a crushing way to end their playoff run.

Looking ahead, the Fever face an even tougher test in the semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces. It will be a battle of youth versus experience, upstarts versus champions. But after what they accomplished against Atlanta, Indiana enters the matchup with confidence. They’ve shown they can win ugly, survive the grind, and deliver clutch plays when everything is on the line.

The Fever’s playoff run is no longer just a storyline about Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the league — it’s about a team coming together at the right time. Hull’s defense, Boston’s toughness, Clark’s leadership, and Mitchell’s scoring give Indiana a formula that can challenge anyone. And as they head into the next round, their identity is clear: they are fighters, built for moments like these.

When fans look back on this playoff run, they’ll remember the night Lexie Hull shut down the Atlanta Dream. It wasn’t the flashiest performance, but it was the kind of gritty, game-changing effort that defines champions. Indiana is still standing, still fighting, and now just four wins away from a trip to the Finals.