Monique Billings looking forward to increased minutes as Valkyries’ starting center

SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Valkyries have lost much of their front court depth after forwards Janelle Salaün and Cecilia Zandalasini and center Temi Fágbénlé left for EuroBasket last week. 

The Valkyries, who came into the season as one of the WNBA’s smaller teams, now find themselves leaning on seven-year veteran Monique Billings to anchor the paint as the team’s starting center. 

Billings said she is up to the challenge. 

“I’m built for this,” Billings said prior to Thursday’s game against the Indiana Fever. “I just want to be able to support wherever I can be a great teammate in any way possible. It’s not even something I think about.” 

Billings made her first start of the season in Tuesday’s 80-71 loss to the Dallas Wings. She scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots during her season-high 34 minutes. 

Golden State signed 6-foot-2 forward Chloe Bibby to a hardship contract earlier this week to shore up its frontcourt depth. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase has also used forward Laeticia Amihere as a center in certain small-ball lineups. 

“She stepped in and I thought she did a great job,” Nakase said of Billings. “Now, she’s playing with other starters. She’s not playing against the second unit. For her, it’s about finding her synergy with Carla (Leite) and Veronica (Burton) in the pick and roll.” 

Billings said the team’s expectations won’t change even with a plethora of rotation players out of the lineup. 

“We have people on our team right now who have been in camp with us. We know the standard,” Billings said. “We have great vets who bring that standard every day. So no, I don’t think that’s something that we need to make as an excuse.” 

Fresno natives surprise kids

Fresno native Janet Chaudoian gave her grandkids, Noah and Clayton Bagdanov, a surprise they won’t forget. 

On Thursday, Chaudoian told the two brothers that they were taking a trip to San Francisco to see their favorite player, Caitlin Clark. 

“We found out this morning,” Noah said. “When they told me, I didn’t believe it. But then, they showed me the tickets and I started jumping up and down.”

Noah and Clayton were decked out in Caitlin Clark attire, which included Fever T-shirts and Iowa hats. Their mother, Ashley Bagdanov, said the family has been watching Clark and Valkyries guard Kate Martin since their days at Iowa. 

“We’re rocking Caitlin shirts, but we’re also fans of Aliyah Boston and we are huge Valkyries fans as well,” Ashley said. 

With 90 minutes until tipoff, the lower bowl at Chase Center was filled with fans donning Clark jerseys and Iowa gear. The going rate for day-of tickets for Thursday’s game was around $85 for upper bowl seats. 

Chaudoian, who bought tickets months in advance, said she paid a bit more than the current going rate. 

“We got a promotional deal to buy the tickets at the time, but we probably paid more than market rate,” Chaudoian said. “They were outrageously priced, but my grandkids are worth it.”

Homecoming for Stanford standout

Indiana Fever forward Lexie Hull couldn’t stop smiling when asked how it felt coming back to the Bay Area. 

“It feels so good,” said Hull, who helped Stanford win a national championship in 2021. “Just being back on the West Coast feels so good. To go out and see some friends from Stanford, it just really feels great. So, I’m really happy to be here.” 

Hull said she reserved 22 tickets for family and friends for Thursday’s game with more expected to come. 

She averaged 11.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in her four years at Stanford under legendary coach Tara VanDerveer. Hull earned all-Pac-12 honors three times and was named to the all-conference defensive team twice. 

“I think (VanDerveer) worked really hard on getting us prepared when we were there,” Hull said. “I’ve definitely taken that into every game that I play now.”

She is having a career year with Indiana through the Fever’s 11 games, averaging 9.6 points, 4.2 rebounds while shooting 48.8% from the field. 

Hull said she is also happy to see a professional women’s basketball team in the Bay Area. 

“It’s huge. There’s definitely an appetite for women’s basketball across the country,” Hull said. “You see it. They’re selling out games every night. It’s just really cool and really special to be in a place close to where I spent four really great years.”

Indiana not fazed by physicality 

The Fever dominated in their win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday, but they didn’t leave without some bruises. 

Indiana’s Clark was pushed by Sun guard Marina Mabrey, which resulted in Clark’s teammate, Sophie Cunningham, committing a hard foul on Connecticut guard Jacy Sheldon later in the game. Both teams got into multiple dust-ups throughout Tuesday’s game as tensions were high. 

Indiana, though, hasn’t been worried by the increased physicality. 

“You see our bruises, you see our scratches,” Hull said. “I think part of this game, knowing how it’s getting played and getting called. We’re able to be a tougher team.” 

The league upgraded Sheldon’s shove on Clark to a Flagrant 2 on Wednesday. 

Clark said she has already moved on. 

“It is what it is and my focus is on tonight,” Clark said.

Fever coach away from team

Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White was not on the sidelines for Thursday’s game as she tended to a team matter, ESPN reported Thursday morning. 

Assistant coach Austin Kelly stepped in as acting head coach. The team hasn’t specified how long White will be out.