Florida State is a place where athletes thrive. They often come to the program as raw talents and leave as better products. That describes Florida State Women’s Basketball alumna Makayla Timpson as she has begun her newest journey in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever.
When Timpson’s name was called during the 2025 WNBA Draft, Seminole Nation was ecstatic about her new beginnings. She prepared for four years for that moment and knew she was ready for the next level. Due to her impact, Timpson will forever be beloved in Tallahassee.
She helped take the Seminoles to different heights that including breaking school records as well as helping the program reach multiple NCAA Tournament appearances.
While new beginnings are often exciting, they also come with challenges. Timpson was in a new environment in Indiana that included high-level basketball. The WNBA is a faster and more physical league and it takes time for rookies to find their footing.
For Timpson, the biggest challenge was seeing the floor. Many knew that she wouldn’t become a starter right away, considering the Fever players featured talents like Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Florida State legend Natasha Howard. Fever head coach Stephanie White leaned on her veteran players as the team looked to be in playoff contention.
Although Timpson was playing garbage minutes to begin the season, she still had the chance to learn what it took to compete in the WNBA. She has veteran players she’s surrounded by that teach her professionalism and how to perform at a high level.
Weeks later, Timpson would finally see more playing time. As key veterans like Damiris Dantas went overseas to compete for her country, that opened up an opportunity for new players to step up.
Timpson isn’t doing anything different than what she did during her four seasons at Florida State. She’s a natural competitor who is going to compete on both ends of the floor. Timpson’s defense has been the highlight of the season. She’s shown the versatility of rim protection, switching, and forcing turnovers. Offensively, the game comes easily for Timpson as she finds ways to get open for easy opportunities at the rim.
In Timpson’s last four games, she’s averaging nearly 15 minutes per game compared to only seeing around one to two minutes at the beginning of the season. Individually, her best performance took place on Wednesday in a loss to the Golden State Valkyries.
Although it was a terrible loss for the Fever, it was a game where Timpson was at her best. She recorded 10 and six rebounds on 55 percent from the floor. Although that's her season’s best, Timpson’s impact goes beyond the box score. She's been impactful while also helping the Fever win the Commissioner’s Cup championship.
Makayla Timpson is just getting started. She’s another player who had to come into the WNBA and wait for their opportunity. Playing next to great pressure takes less pressure off of Timpson’s shoulders to go out and play at her best. As the season progresses, expect Timpson to play a crucial role in the Fever’s rotation. She's proven to be a great role player and will continue to be a crucial piece for the Indiana Fever’s title contention.