FSU women’s basketball: Makayla Timpson carrying last season’s success into junior year

FSU women’s basketball is ready for another adventurous season. Last season, they proved themselves as one of the top contenders in the NCAA and look to capitalize off of their success. This season, the program is ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25. One player who can help the team climb the ladder is junior forward Makayla “KK” Timpson.

Timpson has been an important factor for the Seminoles since she arrived in Tallahassee. She ranked as the 48th-best player in the country, according to HoopGurlz. Timpson was a star at Early County High School and texturized by multiple colleges nationally. Considering the recent success of Florida State, playing for the Noles was the best decision to further her basketball career.

Timpson is known as one of the enforcers for Florida State. She’s their rim protector who makes sure to do all of the dirty work inside. Timpson lives in the paint defensively with her defense and ability to crash the boards. She has defensive instincts that allow her to disrupt team’s offenses and set the tone on that end of the floor.

Makayla Timpson has continued to add to Florida State’s success. During her sophomore season, coach Brooke Wyckoff made her the team’s starting center after playing backup. Not only was Timpson effective defensively, but continued to take strides offensively. Without the basketball, she’s a great screener who opens opportunities for her teammates while also effective in running the pick-and-roll. When she has the ball in her hands, Timpson can play with her back to the basket as well as facing up and scoring inside.

During her sophomore season, Timpson averaged 13.2 points as well as 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Because of her elevation, Florida State finished with a top-five record in the ACC and ranked first in offense. Timpson recorded 13 double-doubles during her sophomore year while being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player. Not only was her impact being felt amongst Florida State but throughout the rest of the conference as well.

There were a few standout performances for Timpson during the season where she was the leading factor for Florida State. In their second conference game against North Carolina, she scored 20 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and recorded five blocks. She continued to dominate inside, as her versatility was too much for the Tar Heels to contain. With great plays down the stretch, the Seminoles were able to win in front of a hostile crowd.

A month later, the Seminoles faced the Duke Blue Devils, a team known for their defense. They were the best team in the conference on that end of the floor and gave up 51 points per game. How were the Noles going to be able to overpower the tough defense of Duke? The game plan was to run their offense through Timpson and allow her to dominate inside.

Timpson finished the game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. While Duke was prepared to slow down players like Ta’Niya Latson and Sara Bejedi, they failed to adjust to slow down Florida State’s center. The Seminoles also displayed a great defensive effort as they held Duke to 26% shooting in the contest. In the end, it was Florida State dominating another conference matchup in a 70-57 win.

“KK is athletic, she’s fast, she moves so well” Coach Wyckoff stated after the game. When the team allows her to establish herself on offense, it makes them unstoppable. Timpson continued to ride on that momentum through the rest of the season. Unfortunately, it didn’t result in a National Championship, as they lost to Georgia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The goal for Makayla Timpson is to continue to improve on both ends of the floor. The Seminoles have been in the conversation as one of the best teams in the ACC, and they believe they have what it takes to be at the top of the conference. “I’m just ready to go now,” Timpson stated as she’s ready for the season. The journey for the Seminoles begins Monday night in a home matchup against Charleston Southern.