Lexie Hull said she is “excited” to face Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, a matchup that arrives at Gainbridge Fieldhouse with the Indiana Fever trying to regroup after a lopsided loss.
The comment came after Indiana fell to the Portland Fire on Saturday, 100-84, its second straight defeat and a result that dropped the Fever to 4-4 on the season. Hull had a quiet night against Portland — she played 16 minutes, scored zero points, missed all four of her three-point attempts and finished with one rebound and one assist.
Through eight games this season Hull is averaging 5.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 three-pointers in 19.5 minutes per game, numbers she and the Fever will hope to revisit as they prepare for a different-looking Atlanta roster.
Thursday’s meeting will be the first time this season that Caitlin Clark and the Fever will face Angel Reese after Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream in the offseason. Hull noted the roster turnover directly, saying, “I think that was one part of the CBA negotiations and everyone being free agents and just all the trades and everything. The teams look different.” She added that the clubs met in the playoffs last year and that the matchup carries extra interest because of the changes.
The schedule gives Indiana four full days to rest and work before the home game. Hull framed that break as practical, saying, “I think we have a couple of days to really get in the gym and work on ourselves and get back to playing our best basketball. But for sure, we’re excited to be playing at home, excited to play them for the first time this season.” The game is set for Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
The immediate stake is straightforward: the Fever need a response after a blowout and a.500 start. The matchup also arrives under renewed attention surrounding Caitlin Clark and coach Stephanie White, a layer Hull acknowledged indirectly by emphasizing preparation and the change in Atlanta’s look. Clark’s own public backing of White — “Steph has my back more than anybody” — has been part of the sideline narrative this season, and Thursday’s game will only amplify the focus on how Indiana executes under that scrutiny.
What to watch when the ball tips: whether Indiana’s rotation shakes off Saturday’s scoring droughts and whether Hull can find a rhythm after missing multiple three-point attempts. More broadly, the Fever must answer whether four days of rest and targeted work in the gym can reset a team that looked outmatched in Portland.
Indiana’s home crowd will get its first look this season at Reese in a Dream uniform and the Fever will get an early answer to the central question hanging over this stretch: can a team hovering at 4-4 stop the slide and respond to a revamped opponent? The answer arrives Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
