Timpson, a forward\/center in her second professional season, is among the most athletic players in the WNBA. While in college at Florida State, she dunked during a practice<\/a>.<\/p>\n Timpson can clearly touch the rim. So a few Fever players yelled out to Timpson, who they call KK, and asked if she could reach the basket that they thought was off. If she could graze the iron, it was probably the right height.<\/p>\n So Timpson, at about 80% speed, walked into the paint, took two steps, then jumped up and poked the bottom of the rim.<\/p>\n That was that. Problem solved.<\/p>\n Most of the time, her athleticism isn\u2019t a party trick. Two nights earlier, Timpson had produced the highlight of her career by jumping up to pin a Kahleah Copper<\/a> layup against the backboard in crunch time. Indiana came back to beat the Phoenix Mercury that night but would likely have lost without that block.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt amazing. I didn\u2019t expect to block it like that,\u201d Timpson said of the play. Her hand was level with the rim before swatting the shot, and she admitted that she\u2019d never pinned a shot like that before. \u201cIt surprised me, too, just like everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n Those are the plays in which Timpson\u2019s athleticism is more visible. Her blocks, her rebounds that nobody else has a chance to get, her layups in which no hand can get between her shot and the basket. In those instances, her pop off the floor makes her an effective player.<\/p>\n Her teammates marvel at those feats. When asked whether Timpson has ever done something athletically that they haven\u2019t seen before, many pointed to that block in Phoenix. Forward Monique Billings<\/a> mentioned that Timpson does something impressive in warmups before almost every game. Aces forward\/center Brianna Turner<\/a>, who was Timpson\u2019s teammate in 2025, said it\u2019s an everyday thing.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time she steps on the court, her athleticism is sort of remarkable,\u201d Turner said. \u201cI think you kind of get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Your business can reach over 3 million women\u2019s sports fans every single month!<\/strong><\/p>\n Here at The IX Basketball<\/a> and The IX Sports<\/a>, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women\u2019s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at BAlarie@theixsports.com<\/a> to discuss ways to work together.<\/p>\n Yet as of late, it\u2019s been Timpson\u2019s possession-by-possession presence that has turned her into a more impactful piece for the Fever. She\u2019s helping the team win games in a way that she never has before.<\/p>\n \u201cHer confidence,\u201d Fever center Aliyah Boston<\/a> said of Timpson\u2019s in-season improvement. \u201cBeing able to put her on the floor and she knows exactly what she needs to do. She doesn\u2019t second-guess herself.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the last month, Timpson is averaging 22.8 minutes per game<\/a> and has logged more than 30 minutes twice. She has been the reserve post player head coach Stephanie White<\/a> has trusted the most; others are hardly playing. Before July 8, Timpson was averaging 12.7 minutes per contest and didn\u2019t get into a game at all on June 24.<\/p>\n Timpson has always been skilled. That\u2019s why the Fever drafted her<\/a> in the first place. At the time, general manager Amber Cox called the young frontcourt player a defensive powerhouse.<\/p>\n Timpson\u2019s hurdle has been that she\u2019s too jumpy and almost too eager to make a play. Her rookie season, which was still promising, featured many plays in which she popped up off the floor too quickly for a block or pounced into action only to clog up spacing. The intent was good. The execution and timing were not.<\/p>\n Timpson still showed enough potential for Indiana to protect her in the expansion draft back in April. That choice is now paying off, as Timpson has learned to combine her agility and leaping with discipline.<\/p>\n \u201cI think she\u2019s become a really good off-ball cutter. I think she\u2019s become a really good screener,\u201d White said. \u201cAt times a year ago, understanding when to do those things wasn\u2019t quite there. It\u2019s really come together.\u201d<\/p>\n Statistically, Timpson\u2019s most noticeable improvement is her efficiency. She\u2019s made 60% of her shot attempts<\/a> this season while slightly improving from the foul line, which has boosted her true shooting percentage to 62.7%.<\/p>\n Her midrange effectiveness, primarily on floaters and runners, is more refined. While the majority of Timpson\u2019s shots come at the rim, her polished touch from farther out provides more options for the Fever\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n \u201cJust making the right reads, depending on the team that we play giving us different looks defensively. Whether it\u2019s doubling [Boston], I could be wide open,\u201d Timpson said. \u201cBeing aggressive on [Caitlin Clark<\/a>] and [Kelsey Mitchell<\/a>], being able to have my keeps.\u201d<\/p>\n Of all WNBA players with at least 100 minutes of action this season, Timpson\u2019s true shooting percentage ranks 18th<\/a>. Only Mitchell and guard Sophie Cunningham<\/a> sit ahead of her on the Fever roster. Some of Timpson\u2019s offensive work comes from, as she described it, sneaking around the basket. She\u2019s mastering that stealth, then finishing the plays that come her way.<\/p>\n Most of Timpson\u2019s per-minute stats are currently similar to her rookie year. That\u2019s not a knock \u2014 being a more efficient version of the same player is a good thing. A few differences stand out, though, and one is that Timpson\u2019s passing feel at least exists now. She logged one total assist as a rookie and has 13 in Year 2<\/a>. That\u2019s still a small number across 30 appearances, but it shows Timpson\u2019s improvements in simply reading the game.<\/p>\n Her steal rate is down, yet her block rate is way up. Timpson is still a defensive playmaker, yet a more disciplined one. That end of the floor is where her impact is felt most.<\/p>\n \u201cI think KK\u2019s focus. I think KK has always been that type of player. She\u2019s super athletic. And I think her ability to guard any position on the floor,\u201d Boston said of where she\u2019s seen Timpson improve. \u201cAnd I think you see it with her rebounding, her blocks, just the way that she affects the game, I think it\u2019s been tremendous for us. I think she\u2019s been doing such a great job, so I\u2019m proud of her.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women\u2019s Sports Daily<\/strong> The fact that Boston and Timpson can coexist has been a boon for Indiana. Per databallr, the Fever are outscoring teams by 13.6 points per 100 possessions<\/a> with both frontcourt players on the floor this season. They have done well apart, too, but being able to play off of each other has helped White complete her rotation.<\/p>\n Earlier in the season, there was more mixing and matching in the frontcourt. Myisha Hines-Allen<\/a> played almost every night. Damiris Dantas<\/a> occasionally hit the hardwood. The Fever searched for the right pairings.<\/p>\n They found that Timpson as the primary reserve is the best option, and she has emerged of late. As a rookie, she only surpassed 20 minutes in a game one time. She\u2019s done so nine times in Year 2 with many games still to come.<\/p>\n Billings has seen her young teammate become more consistent and nail the details. She\u2019s more in tune with the Fever\u2019s scheme. Turner recalled Timpson being a hard worker with a steady attitude and being ready at a moment\u2019s notice last season.<\/p>\n All of those traits helped her improve. Then came minutes, and Timpson has used the playing time to grow at a faster rate. And now, after not playing at all during a game earlier this season, she\u2019s becoming an indispensable piece for the Fever.<\/p>\n \u201cJust being consistent,\u201d Timpson said. \u201cBeing a consistent player offensively and defensively, making big plays for my team. And just being myself. I have that confidence in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Timpson has always believed in herself. After some key improvements, the rest of the Fever believe in her a great deal, too.<\/p>\n![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/55438768360_b51b9aa493_o-1024x683.jpg\")
Indiana Fever forward\/center Makayla Timpson handles the ball during a game against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 2, 2026. (Photo credit: John McClellan | The IX Sports)<\/p>\n
<\/strong>
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women\u2019s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women\u2019s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!<\/p>\n
![\"Photo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Untitled-design-13.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n