Monique Billings , a 6’4″ forward out of UCLA was taken with the 15th pick of the 2018 WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dream.

Monique Billings was taken with the 15th pick of the 2018 draft. The 6’4″ forward was taken by an Atlanta Dream team looking to make an improvement from missing the playoffs the season before.

Fortunately for the Dream, they finished second in the regular season. They lost Angel McCoughtry to injury just prior to the Playoffs which meant they did not have the perfect end to the season but it was a much better season under new coach Nikki Collen.

Billings played a small part in this improvement. She was not able to garner huge amounts of playing time, playing behind Elizabeth Williams, Jessica Breland and Imani McGee-Stafford.

Despite the log-jam ahead of her, Billings was able to carve out 11.0 minutes per game in the 32 games played, Billings averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds, showing she has the ability to peform a role asked of her. Billings provided good depth on the bench which allowed coach Collen to rest her starters for a longer period of time, keeping them fresh in the shortened season.

Billings had a number of good games throughout the season. In just her second game, Billings was perfect from the floor, going 4-of-4 and scoring eight points against the Chicago Sky. In keeping with the multiples of four, Billings was able to accomplish this stat line in just four minutes.

However, this was not Billings best game of the season. On July 15, Billings posted 14 minutes in the win against the Washington Mystics. She went 4-of-5 from the field and 2-of-3 from the line scoring ten points. Billings also colected five rebounds, including two offensive boards.

This was one of the hallmarks of Billings rookie campaign. She averaged 1.2 offensive rebounds per game. Billings was able to collect 11.3 percent of all offensive rebounds while she was on the court.

Billings was originally slated as a first round pick but fell into the second round, mainly thanks to Azura Stevens nominating for the 2018 draft. This was beneficial for the Atlanta Dream team who did not have a first round pick.

Billings has shown enough to get another shot next season. Her desire, passion and willingness to work in infectious. Next season there is a good chance for Billings to grow. Her work ethic will allow her game to improve over the off-season. The Dream will be the beneficiary next season.

Advertisement