STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 18: Stanford’s twin sisters Lexie Hull #12 and Lacie Hull #24 celebrate the final moments of their 78-37 victory over Montana State in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Tara VanDerveer knew what would await anyone facing Stanford in last week’s NCAA women’s basketball sub-regional.
“I wouldn’t want to be a team playing Stanford having to go through the twins,” VanDerveer said after Stanford won the Pac-12 Tournament earlier this month. “I bet they’ll be going through their kneepads to get there.”
“There” is Spokane, Washington, where defending national champion Stanford will play in a regional starting Friday. The twins are Lexie and Lacie Hull, senior guards from Spokane coming home for two games that could be the next-to-last act in their college careers. Or the last, if Friday’s Sweet 16 game against Maryland or Sunday’s Elite Eight matchup don’t go well.
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal’s Lexie Hull (12) and Stanford Cardinal’s Lacie Hull (24) walk on the court during their game against the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
“It’s pretty heart-warming to kind of end up their careers on a home front,” said their mother, Jaime Hull. “It’s pretty neat to share that with friends and family that don’t normally get to go to games. That means a lot to the girls and to us. It’s exciting to share our city with the families of Stanford women’s basketball.”
The Hulls’ homecoming is a year late in the making. Stanford would have gone through Spokane in its 2021 NCAA run had the entire NCAA Tournament not been moved to San Antonio due to COVID. That created an extended hometown celebration for since-graduated Stanford guard and San Antonio native Kiana Williams, only making the Hulls more determined to experience the same.
Stanford actually traveled to Spokane in November, winning over Gonzaga but for the return trip, the Cardinal had to earn its way back. The No. 1 seed Cardinal crushed No. 16 Montana State 78-37 but led No. 8 Kansas by only two points at halftime in the second round.
Then Lexie Hull rose to the occasion in a way even VanDerveer might not have imagined.
Off a 25-point second half, Hull finished with a career-high 36 points in her 124th game as a Cardinal player, leading her team to a 91-65 blowout win, Stanford’s 22nd straight victory. She also tied a season high with six steals, adding six rebounds and three assists to help Stanford all over the court.
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal’s Lexie Hull (12) dribbles against Kansas’ Holly Kersgieter (13) in the second quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
About the only thing Lexie didn’t do for Stanford was turning out the lights after what may have been her and Lacie’s final game at Maples Pavilion.
“Lost probably in Lexie’s offensive performance was how well she defended,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said after she held his top scorer to just seven points. “She neutralized Holly Kersgieter with physical, tough, very stingy defense. It’s not a surprise to me that that translates into a pretty good offensive night.
“You definitely have to be on your toes with a player like that. Once they start to heat up it’s definitely hard to stop them.”
Hull is essentially even with All-American Haley Jones as Stanford’s second-leading scorer behind Cameron Brink. It’s her third consecutive season as a full-time starter and third with All Pac-12 honors.
Off the court, Lexie is earning more honors, as she was named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year majoring in management science and engineering. Both twins were named Academic All-Americans, pushing for academic success from an early age.
“Coming to Stanford, I had that mentality that all I want to get is A’s,” Lexie said. “It also helps being able to take a lot of classes with my sister, we could study together. I didn’t get here alone.”
Lexie and Lacie have done it together every step of the way. From Central Valley High School, where their teams went 102-6 and won two state titles, through to Stanford’s first national championship since 1992 with a chance to repeat, it’s been a charmed road that now comes full circle with the return to Spokane.
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 18: Stanford’s twin sisters Lexie and Lacie Hull (l-r) warm up for their first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament against Montana State, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
The Hulls admit to bringing out the best in each other, something mom Jaime has witnessed ever since their arrival in September 1999. Lexie is older by 20 minutes. Both have grown to 6-foot-1.
“More than anything, it’s them being so competitive with each other,” Jaime said. “They’d play 1-on-1 a lot and just kind of beat the crap out of each other. One of them would win in a day, and the other one just wouldn’t stop until she could win. I can remember Lexie throwing herself on the grass, refusing to come inside until Lacie would play her (again). Or one of them is crying at our athletic club, and I’m telling them to quit because people are going to think we’re forcing our kids to play basketball all the time.”
Lacie was a full-time starter as a freshman in 2018-19 but not again until this season when she spoke up for the point guard opening created when Williams left for the WNBA.
“I was not a first choice off the get-go,” Lacie said. “I played point early on in my basketball career. It’s always been something I’ve said I’ve done and I pride myself in. At the end of the day, I just want to do whatever the team needs.”
Jeanette Pohlen made a similar transition to point guard early in her Stanford playing career and now is on the coaching staff as an intern. She has been a valued sounding board for Lacie, who shares ball-handling duties with Wilson and sometimes Jones.
“I’m thankful to have her (Pohlen) in my ear,” Lacie said.
“Ball-handling is something I’ve had to work on all of college, but very much this season. I work on it every day, but there are adjustments across the board when transitioning to that position because you have a lot more responsibilities and a lot more to think about. The style of play is just different.”
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal’s Lacie Hull (24), center left, and Stanford Cardinal’s Lexie Hull (12) celebrate after their 91-65 win over Kansas Jayhawks for their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
Lexie is showing up in some WNBA mock drafts as a second- or third-round pick and only helped her cause with the 36-point tournament game. Lacie’s basketball future is less clear although both likely could play overseas. They currently live together but know the day is coming soon when they won’t.
“It’s something we’re trying not to think about,” Lexie said. “This will be one of the last times we’ll be so close and see each other every day. It’s something we haven’t really come to terms with yet. I don’t think we will until we’re officially done. It’s not like we’re saying goodbye forever.”
Lacie imagines her and Lexie working together in business at some point, saying that would be “an all-time dream.”
One no one in Spokane or at Stanford would expect to be anything other than a dream come true.
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STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) is welcomed to the bench by teammates, including her sister Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) after scoring 36 points against the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) and Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) gather with teammates as they celebrate after their 91-65 win over Kansas Jayhawks for their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) high-fives Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) during their game against the Kansas Jayhawks in the third quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) and Stanford Cardinal's Cameron Brink (22) defend against Kansas' Zakiyah Franklin (15) in the third quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) takes a shot against Kansas' Holly Kersgieter (13) in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Stanford's Lacie Hull (24) passes the ball against Texas'Rori Harmon (3) in the fourth quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) makes a 3-point shot against Kansas' Ioanna Chatzileonti (10) in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) celebrates her 3-point shot the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) celebrates after she made a 3-point basket against the Kansas Jayhawks in the fourth quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) dribbles against Kansas' Holly Kersgieter (13) in the second quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Stanford's Lacie Hull (24) dribbles against Texas' Joanne Allen-Taylor (11) in the third quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 20: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) fights for a loose ball against Kansas' Zakiyah Franklin (15) in the first quarter of their second round game of their 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game at Maples Pavilion at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, March 20, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Stanford's Lexie Hull #12 brings the ball up court as her twin sister Lacie trails the play in their first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament against Montana State, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Stanford's twin sisters Lexie Hull #12 and Lacie Hull #24 watch from the bench the final moments of a 78-37 victory over Montana State in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Stanford's Lexie Hull #12 brings the ball up court as her twin sister Lacie trails the play in their first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament against Montana State, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Stanford's Lacie Hull (24) takes a shot against Texas' Audrey Warren (31) in the first quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Stanford's twin sisters Lexie Hull #12 and Lacie Hull #24 watch from the bench the final moments of a 78-37 victory over Montana State in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Lexie Hull #12 of the Stanford Cardinal looks for daylight against Madison Jackson #20 and Taylor Janssen #24 of the Montana State Bobcats in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
Stanford guard Lacie Hull (24) drives to the basket against UC Davis guard Bria Shine an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Lexie Hull #12 of the Stanford Cardinal scores on a fast break against the Montana State Bobcats in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Lexie Hull #12 of the Stanford Cardinal shoots against Darian White #0 of the Montana State Bobcats in a first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 30: Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) dribbles against Arizona Wildcats' Sam Thomas (14) in the third quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 30: Stanford Cardinal's Lexie Hull (12) dribbles against Arizona Wildcats' Koi Love (5) in the first quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 30: Stanford Cardinal's Lacie Hull (24) fights for the ball against Arizona Wildcats' Cate Reese (25) in the fourth quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 14: Stanford's Lexie Hull (12) fights for a loose ball against Texas' Aaliyah Moore (21) in the third quarter at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 18: Stanford's twin sisters Lacie and Lexie Hull (l-r) warm up for their first round game of the 2022 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament against Montana State, Friday, March, 18, 2022, in Stanford, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
