"SAN FRANCISCO As Monique Billings walked from the scores table to the floor on Tuesday night, she was welcomed by a roar that shook Chase Center. It was the kind usually reserved for buzzer beaters or playoff wins, only this time, it was for a player the Valkyries' faithful couldn't wait to see step back onto the court. Billings missed the last 14 games with a right ankle sprain and made her debut in the Valkyries' 66-58 win over the New York Liberty on Tuesday."
"Mo has just been working her butt off to get back to being able to be out there on the court with us, and I know it's been killing her not being able to help us out, guard Kate Martin said. So the fact that the crowd could give her some extra love, I know she probably really loved that. That probably made her feel good, feel extra confident going into the game. And so she definitely deserved that."
"Billings comes back into the rotation at a critical moment for the Valkyries. For the last three weeks, Golden State has been forced to play with just two centers in its rotation with defensive stalwart Temi Fagbenle and stretch big Iliana Rupert splitting time. Now, Billings is another body that adds more depth to a team that has been stretched thin in the front court."
Monique Billings returned from a right ankle sprain after missing 14 games and rejoined the Golden State Valkyries in a 66-58 win over the New York Liberty. Billings played 20 minutes, making one of seven shot attempts, and showed visible rust but provided intangible presence beyond the stat sheet. Teammate Kate Martin praised Billings' work ethic and said the crowd's reception boosted her confidence. Golden State had recently relied on two centers, Temi Fagbenle and Iliana Rupert, and Billings' return adds frontcourt depth and vocal leadership to a stretched roster.
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