Ex-Wings player gets real on joining Mercury

The Phoenix Mercury recently signed forward Monique Billings after she was released by the Dallas Wings. The 28-year-old was previously signed to a hardship contract with Dallas. With the Wings getting healthy, though, Billings and Odyssey Sims were released. Sims landed a hardship contract with the Los Angeles Sparks, while Billings ultimately signed a seven-day deal with Phoenix.

Billings recently shared her thoughts on joining the Mercury, via the team's account on X (formerly Twitter).

"I feel like being wanted and needed was big for me," Billings said. "And that was the energy that I felt here. They did, I would say a really great job of recruiting me essentially... I wanted to go, like I said, where I'm wanted, where I'm needed. Where I feel like I can make an impact. I'm thinking I made the right choice."

Monique Billings' 2024 season

Billings averaged 8.8 points per game on 47.5 percent field goal shooting for the Wings across 24 contests. She started 12 games and also recorded 6.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per outing.

Billings' contributions were important for the Wings as the team battled injury trouble. She certainly made a positive impact. Billings likely drew interest from a number of teams around the WNBA. She ended up heading to Phoenix to play with the Mercury in the end, though.

Phoenix is hopeful that Billings can play a similar role for them like the one she played in Dallas. The Mercury have potential, but they have been quite inconsistent in 2024. The addition of Billings may provide a spark as Phoenix prepares for a possible postseason appearance.

For now, the Mercury will focus on their next game on Wednesday against the Atlanta Dream. Phoenix is fresh off a victory over the Chicago Sky so another win would continue to build positive momentum. With the season winding down, a win streak would be exactly what the Mercury need.