Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White could not hide her excitement over the team’s latest free agent signing.
The Fever went 24-20 last season, reaching the WNBA Semifinals despite a rash of injuries.
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Superstar Caitlin Clark returns healthy in 2026, and Indiana made sure she has elite support.
Aliyah Boston headlined the moves, agreeing to a four-year, $6.3 million extension, the richest total salary in league history. Kelsey Mitchell returned on a $1.4 million supermax. Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham re-signed as well, and Indiana added veteran forward Myisha Hines-Allen.
White recently spoke about one low-key acquisition she believes will be a major game-changer.
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The Fever made a lot of noise this offseason. One of their most vital moves, however, may have flown under the radar.
Indiana signed veteran forward Monique Billings to a two-year, $800,000-per-season deal on April 11. The signing came as the Fever absorbed notable losses up front. Natasha Howard departed for the Minnesota Lynx. Erica Wheeler signed with the Los Angeles Sparks. Billings steps in to fill that void.
The 29-year-old brings eight seasons of experience to Indianapolis. Across 239 career games, she has averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Those numbers do not jump off the stat sheet. However, White believes Billings brings something more valuable to the Fever.
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“[Billings] is an elite communicator on the defensive end of the floor,” White said, per Tony East of IX Sports. “There should not be mistakes in coverages because she is talking about it.
“She is a really good defender, active, aggressive. She is a hard rim runner. She is a hard roller out of ball screens. She is a terrific rebounder. And she is a bright personality. She brings a lot of energy. I thought her and Caitlin had really good chemistry at USA as well.”
When the season tips off May 9, Billings could prove to be the Fever’s most underrated offseason addition.
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Related: Sophie Cunningham Makes Opinion of Fever Rookie Raven Johnson Very Clear
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
