Indiana Fever star Lexie Hull entered her fifth WNBA season with plenty on her plate.
The 6-foot guard battled back from a preseason hamstring injury, signed a new two-year contract, and launched a cosmetics brand all within a few months. And she's not slowing down anytime soon.
During the WNBA's 2026 free agency period, Hull signed a two-year, $1.6 million deal that keeps her in a Fever uniform through 2027. The contract reflects her growing value to a franchise that has transformed into one of the league's most-watched teams.
"Part of the emphasis in free agency from our staff was to bring back some consistency," Hull told JWS last month.
"Chemistry-wise, instead of teaching everyone from day one all these new things, we can build off of it for half of us. And then it makes it that much easier to teach everyone else that's new."
Preseason Injury Gives Fever Star Lexie Hull a New Perspective
However, injury has recently hampered Hull's own consistency. She missed all three April preseason games nursing tightness in her left hamstring, and her return has required a methodical approach. Hull started by going up against practice squads at 50% capacity, slowly building her stamina to 100% before progressing to live team practices.
"They've been ramping me up minute-wise just to make sure we're being cautious," Hull said. "Our body can only withstand so much."
Her patience paid off. In the Fever's May 20th win over the Portland Fire, Hull dropped 16 points in 22 minutes while going four-for-four from three and shooting 100% from the field — the second-highest true shooting percentage in WNBA history for a 15+ game. And she even managed to add eight rebounds on the night.
The Stanford product averaged 41.9% from the 3-point range over the last two seasons, making her one of the league's most reliable floor spacers. When Hull, Caitlin Clark, and Kelsey Mitchell share the floor, Indiana averages 29.8 points in 11.5 minutes. Off the ball, the team allows 6.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Hull on defense.
Her versatility creates problems for opponents. Hull ranked among the WNBA's best in offensive fouls drawn last year, while featuring in all 44 regular-season games.
April's hamstring setback gave Hull newfound appreciation for what her teammates endured during last year's injury-riddled late-season stretch, when Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Aari McDonald all went down with SEIs. She now knows what it feels like to watch from the bench rather than contribute on the court.
"It's really hard sitting on the sidelines and watching and not getting to feel like you get to impact the game when you're injured," Hull said. "Now I more fully understand what those girls went through last year."
Athlete-Focused FORTA Cosmetics Shoots to Solve Market Gap
She's been busy off the court, too, turning a longtime dream into a business. Hull co-founded FORTA Cosmetics with former Stanford roommate Sarah Guller. The brand officially launched in April 2026 with Lock & Go Setting Spray, a product designed to keep makeup in place through vigorous workouts and athletic competition.
"Looking back at my freshman year, if someone were to ask, 'What do you want to do after college?' it was, 'I want to start my own company,'" Hull recalled. "I want to create something."
The idea came nearly three years ago when Hull and Guller, who worked in private equity covering consumer brands, identified a gap in the market. Athletes lacked makeup products that could withstand intense movement without melting off or damaging the skin.
"I've always worn makeup when I play," Hull said. "So much of my practices and games, I was sweating off the makeup by the end of warm-ups. That's a problem."
FORTA Cosmetics positions itself as performance-first beauty. The brand partnered with Faves, an athlete-driven commerce platform, to put products in the hands of 30 elite athletes for real-world testing. But that doesn't mean it's only for the pros.
"When we went into it, I was like, 'This will be an athlete brand for people playing at the highest level,'" she admitted.
"And at the end of the day, we've learned that it's for people running around doing their normal busy days, going to get groceries, picking up kids, going on walks, going to pilates, getting drinks. If they still feel like their face is falling off, that was something we felt like we could fix."
It's Basketball First, Entrepreneurship 2nd for Fever Star Lexie Hull
Hull's business partner Sarah Guller works on FORTA Cosmetics full-time while Hull focuses on Fever basketball during the WNBA season. The arrangement lets Hull stay present for her teammates and herself while still contributing to the brand she helped to build.
"My number one priority is basketball, of course," Hull added. "Sarah understands that. She understands that's my dream and my purpose right now."
And the veteran guard has clear goals for what she projects to be a "perfect year" for Indiana. Hull sees the Fever capturing back-to-back Commissioner's Cup titles before taking the WNBA playoffs by storm.
And beyond the confines of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, she plans to marry fiancé Will Matthiessen while FORTA Cosmetics helps athletes around the country stay on top of their makeup games even when breaking a sweat.
"There's a lot of things in the works," she said. "Hopefully by the end of the year, there'll be a lot of things to celebrate."
Cameron Brink revealed her fiancé took an unconventional approach to getting her attention at Stanford this week, with the WNBA and Unrivaled Basketball star saying Ben Felton sent her an email instead of sliding into her DMs.
Felton, who competed on Stanford's rowing team, apparently made his move via a straightforward email.
"Hey Cameron, Wanted to chat you up but I think dms are a bit creepy. Not that an email is much better so here's my number," Felton wrote.
The strategy worked, as Brink and Felton began dating in March 2021.
Felton later proposed in September 2024 at the Shangri-La Paris Hotel in France, surprising Brink with the engagement after she attended a Balenciaga show during Paris Fashion Week.
Brink helped lead Stanford to two national championship games during her four-year college career, establishing herself as one of college basketball's premier players before going pro at the 2024 WNBA Draft. Brink now plays for the LA Sparks and Unrivaled Basketball's Breeze BC.
The couple plans to marry at Stanford's Memorial Church on campus, with Brink telling People Magazine she hopes to exchange vows at the location where their relationship began.
Felton's approach proved more effective than a typical DM, as Brink's large following made standing out difficult. However, the email introduction caught her attention and sparked a lasting relationship.
The couple's Stanford connection remains central to their love story.
Former perennial contender Stanford basketball's 36-season NCAA tournament streak are likely over, as the unranked Cardinal fell out of the ACC tournament in the first round on Wednesday.
No. 14-seed Clemson delivered the 63-46 tournament-ending blow to No. 11-seed Stanford, who shot just 31.5% from the field to score their fewest points of the season.
"We’re not going to let this one game define us or who we are," said head coach Kate Paye. "We’re hopeful we get to continue to play, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to be here today."
March Madness chances dim with Stanford loss
While the NCAA basketball committee will have the final say on March 16th's Selection Sunday, the loss is a statistical death knell for Stanford's March Madness hopes, as the Cardinal drops to an underwhelming 16-14 record with Wednesday's loss.
Stanford has featured in every edition of the NCAA tournament since failing to advance in the 1986/87 season, racking up three national championships and 15 Final Four berths in that time.
The Cardinal holds the second-longest streak of appearances in the Big Dance, trailing only eight-time champion Tennessee, who have featured in every one of the NCAA's 42 tournaments.
The dramatic drop-off comes during a season of significant change for the Cardinal, who saw star Cameron Brink graduate into the WNBA, legendary head coach Tara VanDerveer retire after 38 seasons at the helm, and standout forward Kiki Iriafen transfer to USC last spring.
Even more, the dissolution of the Pac-12 had Stanford joining the ACC in last summer's conference realignment fray.
Rebuilds shape NCAA as top teams become 2024/25 underdogs
While the Cardinal experienced arguably the biggest upheaval since last season, they're far from the only top NCAA program enduring a rebuilding era.
After losing a handful of 2023/24 standouts, Stanford’s former Pac-12 foe Oregon State — who now competes in the West Coast Conference — faces slim national prospects after going unranked all season despite last year’s Elite Eight finish.
Similarly, back-to-back Final Four contenders Iowa also finds itself on shaky ground, taking the No. 11 seed in the steep Big Ten tournament as they strive to rebuild in the post-Caitlin Clark era.
All in all, the 2024/25 NCAA bracket will likely look a little different than in years past, as former March Madness shoo-ins struggle to find their footing amid graduating stars, heightened transfer portal activity, and conference realignment growing pains.
Iowa eyes bracket-busting March Madness run
Of all the rebuilding programs, Iowa is potentially the team most poised to make some noise during March Madness, with the Hawkeyes snagging some key ranked wins already this season — including last month’s upset of No. 2 USC.
With Clark’s alma mater aiming to bust brackets in the Big Dance, the Hawkeyes will use Wednesday's big 81-54 win over No. 14-seed Wisconsin to fuel them in Thursday's second round of the Big Ten tournament, where they'll face No. 6-seed Michigan State.
Earlier this season, Iowa fell in a slim 68-66 December loss to MSU, and the teams enter Thursday's matchup with nearly identical season records.
How to watch Thursday's NCAA conference tournament games
The unranked Hawkeyes will tip off against the No. 24-ranked Spartans at 9 PM ET. Live coverage will air on Fox Sports.