Monique Billings is set to make her Indiana Fever debut Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks, and the Fever head into the game with no players listed on their injury report. The game is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT at Crypto.com Arena and will be televised on USA Network.
Billings had been out with an ankle injury that kept her from playing in the Fever's first game, but she has now been cleared and may be eased back in with a minutes restriction. That gives Indiana a needed frontcourt option as it tries to avoid an 0-2 start after opening the season 0-1.
The release of the report matters because it comes against the backdrop of lingering attention on Caitlin Clark's physical condition after the opener. Clark scored 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting with seven assists and five rebounds in 31 minutes against the Dallas Wings, but reported during the broadcast that she was getting work done on her hip flexor and groin area by the Fever training staff.
After the game, Stephanie White said any hip flexor or groin issue for Clark would be, in her words, the first time she had heard that. White and Clark both said the guard left the court several times to have her back adjusted, adding another layer to the scrutiny around Indiana's most important player just one game into the season.
The Fever and Sparks both enter Wednesday at 0-1, which makes the matchup more than an early-season measuring stick. Indiana needs clean minutes from Clark and as much help as it can get around her, and Billings' return offers a first chance to see whether the frontcourt can steady a team still trying to settle after a noisy opener. If Clark is again spending stretches on the sideline for treatment, the Fever will be forced to manage both the scoreboard and the bodies that keep it moving.
