Is Lexie Hull Playing in Fever's WNBA Season Opener vs Wings?
Indiana Fever wing Lexie Hull has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept her sidelined throughout the team's entire preseason.
Because of this, there was some uncertainty about whether she would be available for the Fever's first game of the WNBA season, which is at home against the Dallas Wings on May 9.
But Fever fans can rest easy, as Hull will be active for Saturday's season-opener. Head coach Stephanie White made this clear when speaking to the media after her team's practice on May 8.
That being said, fans shouldn't expect Hull to receive her normal usage. The 26-year-old former Stanford standout and No. 6 pick of the 2022 WNBA Draft is expected to be on a minutes restriction for Saturday's contest as she tries to get her conditioning in order.
As a result, Sophie Cunningham is expected to start instead of Hull and will probably be the primary defender against Wings star guard Paige Bueckers. Hull will be coming off the bench.
Monique Billings Ruled Out For Fever's First Game Against Wings
Unfortunately, the Fever don't have its full complement of players available on Saturday. Veteran forward Monique Billings' status was up in the air after she suffered an ankle injury during the Fever's final preseason game against Nigeria.
She was listed as questionable leading up to Saturday, but the Fever's official injury report on May 9 revealed that she won't be playing against Dallas.
Status Update: Monique Billings (ankle) is out today. https://t.co/WFKr6RVTgU
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 9, 2026
When speaking about Billings' injury earlier this week, Stephanie White said, "She seems to be doing all right. She said she's gonna be fine. It was definitely precaution, but certainly having an opportunity, as most ankle tweaks, to re-evaluate it tomorrow, and see where she is."
This, combined with Billings being listed as questionable up until game day, conveys that she isn't dealing with anything serious and should be back in the lineup at some point in the next week. This is a tough blow for Indiana, as Billings looked great during the preseason, especially in transition.
Because of her absence, Myisha Hines-Allen will likely be taking Billings' spot in the starting lineup. While this won't necessarily impact how Caitlin Clark and the Fever's offense functions, MHA is definitely not as quick in transition and therefore won't be as much of a target when those opportunities present themselves.
But MHA does bring other elements that will help the Fever, such as her strength and physicality in the paint.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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