Monique Billings

Monique Charice Billings was born on May 2, 1996, in Riverside, California. She developed her basketball skills early, attending Santiago High School in Corona, California, where she was a four-year letterman and also participated in high jump. Her talent was recognized at an early stage, earning her an invitation to the United States National Team Under-18 trials in 2014. Billings continued her academic and athletic career at UCLA, where she quickly became a standout player. Throughout her college years from 2014 to 2018, she demonstrated significant impact, ranking first in UCLA history with 228 blocks and second with 1,159 rebounds. She achieved the distinction of being only the third player in UCLA history and 14th in the Pac-12 to surpass 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds. Her consistent performance earned her two-time All-Pac-12 and All-Defensive Team honors.

Billings’ professional journey began when she was drafted 15th overall in the second round of the 2018 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream. During her tenure with the Dream from 2018 to 2023, she played in 137 regular season games, starting 35 of them. She averaged 19.3 minutes per game, accumulating 854 points, 822 rebounds, 113 assists, 111 steals, and 71 blocks. A notable period was her 2021 season, where she recorded career-best statistics in assists, steals, and blocks per game. She also recorded four double-doubles that season, highlighting her versatility and impact on the court. Beyond the WNBA, Billings has played overseas, including stints with the Heilongjiang Dragons and Asan Woori Bank Wibee from 2018-2019, Elitzur Ramla (2019-2020), Hatay BB (2020), Nadezhda Orenburg (2020-2021), Townsville Fire (2021-2022), Besiktas (2022-2023), Dynamo Kursk (2023-2024), and Guangdong Vermilion Birds (2024).

In 2024, Billings joined the Dallas Wings on a hardship contract, where she quickly made an impact, including a 20-point, 10-rebound performance against the Atlanta Dream. Later that year, she signed with the Phoenix Mercury, initially on a 7-day contract, which was then extended for the rest of the season. In December 2024, she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the WNBA Expansion Draft, marking a new chapter in her WNBA career. Additionally, she signed a short-term contract with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League for the 2025-26 season, continuing her international play. Billings’ career milestones reflect her dedication and consistent professional development in basketball.