Players’ final season of college basketball is always bittersweet. It’s the final ride for the seniors as they have to say goodbye by the end of the year. For the Florida State Seminoles, this is the final chapter for both O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson. Although their presence will be missed after this season, they look to make their last season their best.
What a journey it’s been for the seniors. Both Gordon and Timpson came to Tallahassee as young prospects looking to blossom. They were grateful to play under legendary head coach Sue Semrau and learn what it takes to succeed in Garnet and Gold. Later on, Brooke Wyckoff took over as the new coach and has since done a great job of helping maximize the play of Gordon and Timpson.
In their freshman seasons, Gordon and Timpson showed that they were special. They came to the team ready to compete and make an impact. Sure, they were the youngest of the pack. However, both Gordon and Timpson showed fearlessness when competing on the floor. It led to Gordon becoming the team’s starting point guard as well as Timpson being a huge piece off the bench.
Since their freshman seasons, both Gordon and Timpson’s games have grown tremendously. Gordon has continued to blossom as an elite two-way talent. She doesn’t get her just due as an elite all-around player. Offensively, Gordon is confident. Anytime she takes a shot, it’s a great quality look that has a high chance of going in the basket. Defensively, she is a pest with her attention to detail and relentlessness to create stops on that end of the floor.
Timpson has blossomed into a star before our very eyes. The kid from Georgia had a mindset to be dominant the moment she stepped foot in Tallahassee. It’s safe to say that she’s done that leading into her senior season. What makes Timpson great is the little things she brings to the table. Offensively, she’s a great screener who gives guards the opportunity for open shots as well as growing an offensive game. However, the defense has been Timpson’s bread and butter. It’s the side of the floor that has made her a household name in college basketball.
As the years continue, Timpson continues to place herself in position as one of the greatest players to wear a Florida State uniform. It’s always a good feeling when your name is in the same conversation as players like Natasha Howard, Brooke Wyckoff, Shakayla Thomas, and several others. In her junior season, Timpson broke the single-season record for most rebounds in school history and is currently top five in rebounds all time. She also holds the record for most double-doubles in a single season.
With everything that O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson have accomplished through their first three college seasons, they’re not satisfied. Why is that? Because they still lack success in the NCAA Tournament. “We want to go further in the Tournament,” Gordon said at the Seminoles’ Tip-Off Event in October. The seniors know they have a good team on their hands. However, they feel like they’re under the radar because of being eliminated in the first round of the Tournament the past five seasons.
Being overlooked as a team has lit a fire in Florida State’s two seniors. It’s safe to say that both Gordon and Timpson have started the season on a high note. In Florida State’s season opener against North Florida, Timpson stole the show as she recorded a career-high 22 rebounds, which tied her for third-most in a single game in school history. Timpson is currently tied for first in the NCAA in rebounds next to Destiny Adams of Rutgers with 15.
Gordon has continued to elevate her game as well. What has stood out this season has been her defense. In Florida State’s new defensive scheme, Gordon has the assignment of defending the opposing team’s ball handlers full court. Gordon has done a great job of eyeing the ball and being able to force turnovers. Gordon has done a good job of being active with her hands and grabbing the basketball from opposing players. She's currently tied for third in the ACC (next to Timpson) in steals with four per game.
Both seniors are making their impact in different ways. But it’s not just their impact as individual players but for the team as well. Gordon and Timpson continue to provide leadership for Florida State. As they’ve been anchors on both ends of the floor, their teammates have followed behind them.
This is only the beginning of a magnificent senior season for both O’Mariah Gordon and Makayla Timpson. As the year progresses, they’ll continue to make an impact that will lead Florida State to success. Remember, the end goal is a deep Tournament run for the Seminoles. Gordon and Timpson have that in the back of their head and they’ll continue to set the tone to play past the first round.