Indiana Fever in Disbelief After WNBA Rookie Rejects Rickea Jackson
Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever had their eyes set on a fourth-straight win, taking on Rickea Jackson and the Los Angeles Sparks for the second time this season on Saturday.
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The Fever have been shorthanded over the past couple of weeks. Caitlin Clark has been sidelined for five games due to a groin injury, while Damiris Dantas was absent for her third due to her commitment to the Brazil national team.
With only nine active players available for the last few games, rookie Makayla Timpson has seen more playing time. And she had a solid start against the Sparks.
With just over 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter and Indiana trailing 21-20, Jackson took a handoff from Dearica Hamby and came off a screen, finding a clear lane to the basket. But Timpson seemingly came out of nowhere, swatting Jackson's shot into the bench.
Indiana Fever forward Makayla TimpsonGrace Smith/INDIANAPOLIS STAR-Imagn Images
The ball skipped into Clark's hands as the entire Fever sideline gave Timpson a standing ovation. Aliyah Boston and Sophie Cunningham greeted the rookie with a high five as well.
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The Fever were even stunned by Timpson's block.
"Makayla Timpson GOT UP for this block 😳," the official Indiana Fever account wrote on X.
After playing college ball with the Florida State Seminoles, Timpson was drafted with the No. 19 pick in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Before June 27, Timpson had played just 14 total minutes across seven games. But during the Fever's recent three-game winning streak, the rookie has seen a significant uptick in playing time, averaging 13.0 minutes, 1.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.
Related: Indiana Fever's Kelsey Mitchell Made History Against Los Angeles Sparks
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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