Indiana Fever fans will relish the rare sight of an empty injury report. After all, the fans had to click “see more” for the team’s injury updates last season on Twitter inorder to view the entire list. Well, because there were so many. New signing Monique Billings started the 2026 season with an ankle injury, missing the opener against the Dallas Wings. Now, however, the forward has opened up on her Fever debut. 

The Fever missed Billings in their first clash. They were outsized by the Wings, who shot 59% from the field and 52% from the three-point line. With multiple players like Lexie Hull, Aliyah Boston and Tyasha Harris on a minutes restriction, they could have used a body in that defense and front court. Billings participated in fast-paced but non-contact drills in the portion of practice open to media. Now, she is set for a return in their second game against the Sparks. And she has opened up on her role in this team ahead of her return. 

“Being a vet in this league, I’ve been here for a while, so I know what I bring and what I need to do,” Billings said in the practice media availability. “I know that I’m the steadiness for this team, that steady force and voice. They call me the team mom, bringing all those vibes always. That’s my goal.”

The former UCLA standout is in her 9th year in the WNBA. Billings spent the first five years in Atlanta after being drafted in the second round in 2018. She played a key role off the bench for the Dream, who reached the semifinals in her rookie year. After the Dream, Monique Billings had some stints with the Wings, Mercury and the Golden State Valkyries last year. This experience across the board will help the Fever, who have a pretty young core in Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull. 

Sophie Cunningham, Kelsey Mitchell and Billings add the experience to this rotation that will be essential for this team to take the next step. Billings and Clark played together at the Team USA camp and seemed pretty in sync. Billings set up multiple efficient screens for Clark to get her shot off. She has also played with Mitchell at Unrivaled, making the Fever familiar to her. 

“The chemistry I built with Caitlin Clark through Team USA and playing with Kelsey Mitchell at Unrivaled mattered to me,” Billings said. “I wanted to go where I was going to be valued and utilized, and I feel like I have that opportunity here.” Beyond the chemistry with the teammates and the leadership Billings brings, she has committed to contribute with her defense as well. 

Monique Billings Looks to Improve Indiana Fever Defense Ahead Of Return

Defense was the talking point for the Indiana Fever after the Dallas Wings loss. “Transition defense,” Stephanie White said. “We’ve got to be better at getting matched up in transition, getting back in transition, not giving up so many easy looks, and ball-screen defense. Those are two areas that were glaring weaknesses in game one.” Caitlin Clark agreed, saying, “We’re perfectly fine on offense, and there’s still so many things we can do better on that end of the floor.”

The Wings had little to no problem shooting the ball. In the very next game, the Wings shot only 38% from the field against the Dream and 15% from the three. The Sparks opened their season with a loss, but they have some potent weapons like Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby and Nneka Ogwumike. Ahead of their second game, Billings has admitted that her ‘intangibles’ make her the perfect fit in the Fever. 

“I feel like I’m the type of player who gets in where I fit in. Obviously my defense and my aggression. I’ve been working on my three, so being able to space out, rim run, and bring energy,” Billings said. “There are a lot of different factors to my game that I think fit in well here.”

Billings had a defensive rating of 95.5 which was among the lowest in the Valkyries squad. With the forward off the floor, their opponents shot 48.2% while shooting only 44.4% while she was on it. That is tangible impact for Billings who could improve further. 

Beyond their defense, the Fever need to get back on track with their outside shooting. They only shot 29% from beyond the arc as Mitchell, Clark and Sophie Cunningham struggled to get open looks. Clearly there are things to fix for White. Unless they do, the Fever could face problems in recreating and improving on their 2025 semifinals run.