Simone Biles is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of sport — 11 Olympic medals, 30 World Championship medals, and a legacy that transcends gymnastics. Now she’s heading to Indiana, and she’s already making her presence felt in the local sports conversation, including a playful exchange involving Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull.

The connection is straightforward: Biles’s husband, NFL safety Jonathan Owens, signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts, which means the gymnastics legend will be relocating to the state of Indiana this spring. And with the WNBA’s 2025 season ramping up, the timing puts Biles right in the middle of Fever country at one of the most exciting moments in the franchise’s recent history.

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It’s the kind of offseason storyline that reminds fans how interconnected the world of elite women’s athletics has become — and how much personality exists beyond the court and the competition floor.

Why Simone Biles Is Suddenly Part of the Indiana Fever Conversation

The Fever are heading into a pivotal offseason. Several key players from their 2025 roster are set to hit free agency, and the front office will be working hard to keep the core together. Among the names to watch are Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull.

Hull’s situation is slightly different from the others. She is a restricted free agent, which means the Fever hold the right to match any offer she receives from another team. If Indiana matches, Hull must return to Indianapolis — she doesn’t have the same freedom to walk that an unrestricted free agent would.

That’s the basketball side of things. The cultural side? That’s where Biles enters the picture. Her move to Indianapolis — driven by Owens’s Colts contract — puts one of the world’s most famous athletes in the same city as one of the WNBA’s fastest-rising teams. And Biles, never shy about engaging on social media, has already been connecting with Fever players, including a lighthearted tease directed at Hull involving a physical difference between the two athletes.

The specific nature of the exchange points to something fans of both sports already know well: Biles, despite her towering athletic achievements, is famously petite. Hull, a guard who competes at the WNBA level, operates in a world where height is a professional asset. The contrast between the two — one of the greatest gymnasts ever and a professional basketball player — makes for an easy and affectionate kind of ribbing.

Simone Biles by the Numbers: A Career That Defies Comparison

For anyone who needs a refresher on just how remarkable Biles’s athletic record is, the numbers speak for themselves. Her medal haul at the Olympics and World Championships puts her in a category that very few athletes across any discipline have ever occupied.

Competition
Total Medals
Gold
Silver
Bronze

Olympic Games
11
7
2
2

World Championships
30
23
Not specified
Not specified

Those 23 World Championship gold medals alone would be enough to cement a legacy. Combined with her Olympic record, Biles stands as arguably the greatest gymnast — and one of the greatest athletes — in American history.

The WNBA Offseason Timeline That Sets the Stage

While the Biles-Hull moment is a fun sidebar, there’s serious business happening around the Indiana Fever this spring. The WNBA has recently ratified its Collective Bargaining Agreement, and the league is now moving quickly toward the 2025 season. April is shaping up to be an especially packed month.

April 6: Expansion Drafts for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire
April 7–11: Free agency negotiation period opens
April 12–18: Free agency signing period
April 13: 2026 WNBA Draft
April 19: Preseason training camp begins
May 8: Opening night

For the Fever, the free agency window is the most pressing item on the calendar. Keeping Mitchell, Cunningham, and Hull — or at least using the restricted free agent tag to retain Hull — will be a priority as the team looks to build on recent momentum.

What This Means for Fever Fans Heading Into 2025

For fans in Indianapolis, the next few weeks are going to be worth watching closely on multiple fronts. On the basketball side, the Fever’s ability to re-sign their key free agents will go a long way toward determining what kind of team they put on the floor come May 8.

On the broader cultural side, having Simone Biles in the city — even temporarily, tied to Owens’s one-year Colts deal — adds a layer of star power to Indianapolis that extends well beyond any single sport. Biles has consistently shown an interest in and support for women’s athletics, and her presence in the community during a WNBA season could bring additional attention to the Fever at a moment when the league is enjoying some of its highest visibility in years.

The playful exchange with Lexie Hull is a small moment, but it hints at something larger: elite women athletes across different sports are increasingly connected, supportive of one another, and willing to engage publicly in ways that bring their fan bases together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Simone Biles moving to Indiana?
Biles is relocating to Indiana because her husband, Jonathan Owens, signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts.

What did Simone Biles tease Lexie Hull about?
Biles teased Hull over a physical difference between them — widely understood to reference the height contrast between a professional basketball player and the famously petite gymnastics champion. The specific details of the exchange were not fully quoted in

Is Lexie Hull staying with the Indiana Fever?
Hull is a restricted free agent, meaning the Fever can match any offer she receives from another team and retain her if they choose to do so.

When does WNBA free agency begin in 2025?
The free agency negotiation period runs from April 7 to April 11, with the actual signing period from April 12 to April 18.

When is the first game of the 2025 WNBA season?
Opening night is scheduled for May 8, with preseason training camp beginning on April 19.

How many Olympic medals has Simone Biles won?
Biles has won 11 Olympic medals in total — seven gold, two silver, and two bronze — along with 30 World Championship medals, 23 of which are gold.