Valkyries Make Roster Decision, Waive Rookie Guard After Fever Game

One path for players signed on hardship contracts is an eventual rest-of-season signing that grants them a full roster spot, rather than a conditional one. This has been the case for Golden State forward Kaila Charles, who joined the Valkyries on a season contract after signing three straight hardship deals.

This isn't always the case, and it wasn't the case for guard Bree Hall, who was released by the Valkyries on Monday to make room for the return of star Golden State forward Monique Billings from injury.

Hall signed with the Valkyries on August 27 to help bolster the roster with the losses of Billings, forward Kayla Thornton, who is out for the season with a knee injury, and forward Cecilia Zandalasini who has missed time due to a left calf injury. With Billings back on the roster, however, the Valkyries active roster would have exceeded the limit of 10, necessitating Hall's release after one game.

What Billings' Return Means for Golden State

Billings hasn't played since July 29, when she left the game after just nine minutes due to an injury to her left ankle. The Valkyries later announced that Billings would be out for three weeks and reevaluated after that span to assess the condition of her ankle.

Following that three week period the team announced that there was no further damage to Billings' ankle, but that she would still be checked on a day-to-day basis before she could be fully approved to come back to the court. Now that Billings has been activated, it seems that day has arrived.

Billings' return is monumental for Golden State. Prior to her injury she was averaging 7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game and the size the six-foot-four forward brings to the court is a crucial defensive addition that helps the Valkyries in player matchups.

Her comeback could not have come at a better time as the season comes down to the wire and the Valkyries are fighting to keep themselves in the playoff race. The Valkyries are currently the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs after their defeat of the Indiana Fever Sunday night, though there is just half a game separating the two with the Seattle Storm also in the mix.

The Valkyries need all the help they can get to keep themselves contenders and with Billings back in the lineup, they just might have it.