INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever forward Makayla Timpson said she’s “still learning,” but has more confidence as she heads into her second WNBA season.
“I’m still learning. I’m not really a veteran, but I feel pretty confident on the court, knowing the space and knowing what the coaches need,” Timpson said. “Just being aggressive and being myself, building that confidence and knowing that I’m able to do what I can do, and having that first year under my belt to develop.”
Timpson averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game during her rookie year in 2025. Timpson’s minutes fluctuated throughout the campaign, but the former Florida State star showed promise when her number was called.
Timpson began to earn more minutes as the Fever struggled with multiple injuries throughout the year. Her aggressive nature in the paint gained the approval of coaches and teammates. Coach Stephanie White praised Timpson’s “good instincts” on defense and guard Caitlin Clark called her a “great asset.”
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Timpson said she focused on the “little things” such as rebounding, playing hard and running the floor last year. Timpson worked on her speed in transition and getting out of screens faster during the offseason. She aims to improve on defense and wants the Fever, who ranked seventh in defensive rating (102.7) last season, to “have each other’s back on defense.” Timpson knows that’ll take listening to one another, a quality she exercises with ease.
Timpson often stayed after practice for extra workouts and prioritized listening to veterans like Kelsey Mitchell and former Fever forward Natasha Howard, who signed with the Minnesota Lynx during free agency. This year, Timpson plans to lean once again on Mitchell, who she said “is always taking good care of (me),” and free agent acquisitions Monique Billings and Myisha Hines-Allen.
Billings and Hines-Allen are entering their ninth seasons in the WNBA. Billings signed a two-year deal worth $1.6 million, and Hines-Allen, a one-year, $315,000 contract. Timpson, still under her rookie contract, didn’t have to worry about free agency.
Indiana could’ve made Timpson available for the expansion draft, but elected to keep its budding forward. Timpson doesn’t take the Fever’s trust for granted.
“It was calming to know that the Fever were able to protect me,” Timpson said. “Knowing that it’s a home here for me and that the coaches believe in me, they trust me as a player, being here overall feels amazing.”
Joshua Heron is an enterprise sports reporter for IndyStar. Follow him @HeronReports. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Fever’s second-year forward has greater confidence: ‘It’s a home here’
Reporting by Joshua Heron, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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