The Indiana Fever are facing a big question ahead of their first game of the new WNBA season. The Fever host Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday for their season-opener.
The Fever, however, are dealing with an injury to veteran forward Monique Billings. The 6-foot-4 forward has been nursing an ankle injury, which has forced her to sit out most of practice this week.
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Billings, however, was able to return to practice on Friday, giving her a shot at making her Fever debut on Saturday against the Wings. At this point, however, there is still considerable uncertainty about her final status for the game.
The Fever have submitted their injury report, and Billings is officially listed as questionable to play against Dallas.
Billings suffered her injury on Saturday in Indiana’s 105-57 preseason win against the Nigeria Women’s National Team. She played just six minutes before being ruled out for the rest of the game.
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The injury does not seem overly serious, but it is enough to cast doubt on what would be Billings’ first game for her new team. The former UCLA standout signed with the Fever in free agency. She put pen to paper on a two-year, $1.6 million contract.
Billings started all three preseason games for the Fever. Head coach Stephanie White will need to fill the gap if Billings ends up being ruled out for Saturday’s contest.
Myisha Hines-Allen would be the logical choice to fill the starting power forward spot if Billings is unavailable. Coach White could also opt for a smaller and faster lineup and insert Lexie Hull into the mix.
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Either player will join Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham and Aliyah Boston in Indiana’s projected starting five.
Related: Is Stephanie White Feeling the Pressure of Coaching Cailtin Clark?
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.