The Indiana Fever may have unlocked a new dimension to what they're capable of in 2026.
The team has won four straight games with second-year forward Makayla Timpson in the starting lineup and is 5-0 this season when Timpson enters the starting lineup. For a Fever team that has been craving consistency all season, Timpson's breakout campaign might propel this Indiana team further than expected in the playoffs.
Timpson's improvements as a scorer and on defense have been palpable over the last month, with her recording a season-high 20 points and seven rebounds in a pivotal road victory over the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. That game will give the Fever a much clearer path to one of the top WNBA playoff seeds that comes with home court advantage in the first round. The Fever don't win that Dream game with Timpson's colossal contributions.
Timpson is giving Indiana what they've lacked all season long alongside superstar center Aliyah Boston: a reliable frontcourt player who can grab boards, defend the rim and produce in the paint. Her ability to get layups has been critical for a Fever team that needed more point production from their bigs. She's gone from an inconsistent depth player with promise to a critical part of making Stephanie White's system work as well as it is right now.
Makayla Timpson in win over Dream:
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) August 16, 2026
20 PTS (career-high)
9-13 FG
7 REB
KK had 6 points in overtime to lead Indiana.
Fever are 5-0 when she's in the starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/nUTg0peEwu
Forward Monique Billings has been solid off the bench for the Fever, but replacing her for Timpson in the starting lineup unlocked a new gear for what the Fever's ceiling is in 2026. For most of the season, the Fever looked just a step behind the best teams like the Dream, Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and Golden State Valkyries for most of the season. Now, the team looks like it can go toe-to-toe with any roster in the WNBA in the postseason.
Yes, Caitlin Clark's otherworldly recent run and Kelsey Mitchell's ongoing scoring frenzy are leading the way, but Timpson's emergence is making the Fever look smart for standing pat at the trade deadline. Even if the Fever don't win it all this fall, Timpson will join Clark, Boston and guard Raven Johnson as an exciting young quartet for Indiana to build around. If the team can lock Mitchell in for 2027 and beyond, they'll be clear title contenders for years to come. The Fever desperately needed an unexpected boost like Timpson's rise; we're very curious to see how far it can take them in the 2026 playoffs and how much better her play sets up Indiana in the future in the frontcourt.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: How Makayla Timpson is unlocking a new gear for the Fever