Lexie Hull taken aback by Caitlin Clark gesture after big announcement

Lexie Hull received a huge surprise from Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates after announcing her engagement to Will Matthiessen, showing just how close-knit the team are

Lexie Hull’s emotions ran high when she received a surprise congratulations on her engagement from Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever team-mates.

Hull took to Instagram earlier this week to announce her engagement to Will Matthiessen. She shared a series of sweet snaps showing the moment her beau popped the big question against the backdrop of a picture-perfect view of the ocean. Captioning the carousel, Hull wrote: “Engaged to my best friend, cheers to forever!” Several friends and fellow WNBA stars were quick to congratulate her.

While Clark was one of the first to send her well wishes, writing: “YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYY SO HAPPY,” she wasn’t content with just congratulating her Fever team-mate online, springing quite the surprise on Hull during a team practice session. A video uploaded by the team on Thursday showed Clark heading off the court with team-mates before pulling out a plastic tiara and a bag with “BRIDE” written on the front

Clark then playfully sprinted across the court towards Hull while shouting, “Lexie!” before putting the tiara on her head and handing her the tote bag, as the rest of the team applauded. Meanwhile, balloons were also brought out by Aliyah Boston and put beside a beaming Hull, who was quick to thank her team-mates for their efforts, saying: “That’s so cute, guys.”

Fans of the Fever flocked to the comments section to praise Clark for the gesture. One wrote: “Caitlin is literally a big kid. She’s so funny. I love her,” while another added: “Caitlin’s excitement is genuine and palpable!”

A third added: “You can tell this team LOVES being together!!” while a fourth said: “The picture of CC running with the bag,” with laughing emojis. Hull’s relationship with Matthiessen blossomed during their collegiate days at Stanford.

Hull spent four years with the Cardinal before she was drafted by the Fever as the sixth overall pick of the 2022 WNBA draft, despite major speculation by media that she would land late in the first round or as a second-round prospect. Fast forward to April 2025, and the 25-year-old shooting guard has been a mainstay for the franchise, starting 40 of 90 games played.

Matthiessen, meanwhile, pursued a career in professional baseball after he was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB draft. He enjoyed success in the minor leagues before he retired in March 2024 following a series of injuries.

The 26-year-old went on to work as a venture associate at Commonwealth Impact Investment for six months before interning as an analyst with Sapient Capital. It comes as Hull and Clark will be working hard as they put the final touches on their preparations for the 2025 WNBA season.

After making it to the play-offs for the first time in eight years under Christie Sides in 2024, the Fever will hope for an even bigger push under new head coach Stephanie White this term. Their season kicks off on May 17, when they will welcome the Chicago Sky to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Meanwhile, fans will be eager to see how point guard Clark performs after enjoying a full off-season. The 23-year-old was drafted in by the Fever as the first overall pick of last year’s draft, and quickly made a name for herself in the big leagues despite little lay-off between her collegiate season at Iowa and her WNBA debut.