A night that was meant for celebration took an unexpected turn. Just when everything seemed to be going right for the Indiana Fever in their final preseason outing, a moment late in the game shifted the focus entirely. Because what was supposed to be a fiesta night for both on-court and off-court reasons turned into a concern for one of the Fever’s key offseason additions. But the good news is, head coach Stephanie White has finally shed some light on the situation.
During Indiana’s preseason clash against Nigeria, Monique Billings exited the game midway through the second quarter after an awkward landing. With 7:50 left on the clock, she went up for a rebound but stepped on an opponent’s foot on the way down, which tweaked her right ankle and forced her to head straight to the locker room.
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With the sting of the Fever’s 2025 injury-filled season still lingering, moments like this can make fans skip a beat, but White has offered some clarity.
“She said she’s going to be fine,” Stephanine White said during a post-game interview. “It was definitely a precaution. But certainly, we have an opportunity, as with most ankle tweaks, to reevaluate tomorrow and see where she is.”
However, it was the timing of it all that made this even tougher.
Billings just turned 30, and before the injury, she was making the most of her minutes.
In just six minutes on the floor, she dropped 7 points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting, including 1-of-1 from beyond the arc, while adding 2 rebounds and a steal. Yet her strong start was cut short on a night when she was also supposed to celebrate her birthday.
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So while the initial update suggests her exit was more precautionary than anything serious, fans holding their breath in that moment tells you just how much she means to this team.
After spending the 2025 season with the Golden State Valkyries, Billings joined the Fever on a two-year, $1.6 million deal. And so far, she has started in all three preseason games under White, averaging 5.5 points and 5 rebounds. With her prowess and skills, she is widely expected to be part of the starting lineup heading into the regular season.
The Fever no longer have the likes of Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Chloe Bibby to shore up the frontcourt. That’s exactly why any serious injury to Billings would be a major blow. We saw signs of that in their last game against the Dallas Wings, where they struggled badly on the glass without Aliyah Boston and couldn’t keep up physically.
But as fate would have it, just as Boston returned to the lineup, Billings went down with an injury. Even then, the Indiana Fever found a way to respond.
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Indiana cruised to a 105–57 win over Nigeria and delivered a complete performance on both ends of the floor. It was the kind of showing that not only closed out their preseason on a high note but also ensured Billings’ birthday didn’t end on a completely sour note.
They dropped 70 by halftime and walked into the break with a 41-point lead. By the four-minute mark of the fourth, they had already crossed 100. And then there was something new for the fans to witness as well . The Fever tried out a different look offensively where Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were setting screens for Aliyah Boston as the ball handler. On one play, it worked perfectly, with Boston getting a clean, wide-open lane to the rim.
“AB’s game has expanded,” Coach Stephanie White said in the post game press conference. “She played point forward for us last year, and when you have two playmakers that are screeners, it makes defenses make a choice. “I think that we’ve got to be creative in ways that we can get one another shots and create space. I think that we have an opportunity with those three on the floor to do a lot of different things.”
This new offensive setup could be something we see a lot more of as the season goes on.
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While Boston’s return will obviously please the fans, watching Clark play after her injury scare will be just as reassuring. She finished the game with 12 points in just 13 minutes on Saturday, shooting 2-for-3 from long range and dishing out four assists.
What’s Next for Stephanie White and the Fever?
With this win in their bag, the Fever are 2-1 in the preseason games of the 2026 WNBA season. The only loss they have faced so far came against the Dallas Wings, where the Fever fell 95-80.
However, they don’t have much time before things get serious. With just one week’s rest, the Fever will play the Dallas Wings in the 2026 regular season opener on May 9th.
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But before the regular season begins, there are some areas the Fever will need to work on if they want to win championships.
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Health remains the biggest concern. In the first two games, at least 3 players were sidelined from the game as a precaution.
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Defensively, the Fever have work to do. They allowed 50 points in the paint against Dallas and struggled with rotations and physicality.
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Offensively, inconsistency stands out. Indiana shot just 17.4% from three against Dallas, but looked unstoppable against Nigeria. That gap highlights the need for reliable perimeter shooting, especially when playing against strong teams.
While the Wings have already proven their young core after Paige Buckers and Azzi Fudd led their team against Caitlin Clark and Co. But to be fair, the Fever were missing Aliyah Boston and Lexie Hull in that game, which gave them a disadvantage on the rebounds. However, with Boston back on the floor, they are one of the most dangerous teams in the league already.
Also, coming back to Billings, we have no official timeline on when she will return, but the early signs suggest the team will take a cautious approach moving forward. And that’s the priority right now.
The Indiana Fever and Stephanie White have the pieces, and there is no doubt in their potential. But the question is, how long can this team stay healthy?
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