Lexie Hull will be available for the Indiana Fever when they open the season against Dallas on Saturday, but coach Stephanie White said the wing is expected to play only limited minutes after missing all three preseason games with hamstring tightness.
White said Hull will likely come off the bench, with Sophie Cunningham set to start at the wing spot. The Fever are easing Hull back into action after her preseason absence, and her return gives Indiana another body as it prepares for a lineup that may still be in flux.
Monique Billings remains questionable for the opener after injuring her ankle in Indiana's preseason finale on May 2. She has been doing some pregame shooting and taking part in warmups at practice, but she has not joined contact drills since the injury, leaving her status in the hands of repeated evaluations.
White said she is following the trainers' guidance and expects Hull to be monitored closely before and after activity. On Friday morning, White said Billings would keep being checked, explaining that she wants to see a little more from the forward before deciding how much she can handle.
If Billings cannot play, Myisha Hines-Allen is likely to start at power forward on Saturday. That would leave Indiana adjusting two spots in the same game: Hull easing in from the bench while the Fever wait to see whether Billings can go, a reminder that even in an opener, health is already shaping the rotation.
For Indiana, the immediate question is not whether Hull can suit up. It is how much the Fever can ask from her, and whether Billings can do enough over the next round of checks to avoid forcing another lineup change before the first tip.
