The Indiana Fever had three picks in the 2025 WNBA Draft and the team's front office made it clear with those selections that defense is key this season. Makayla Timpson, Bree Hall, and Yvonne Ejim were each known for their tough defensive prowess throughout their collegiate careers.
The Fever also entered the draft in a position the team hasn't found themselves in for quite some time: building on a playoff team. The Fever spent years hovering at the bottom of the pack, and snagging both Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark as number one draft picks in 2023 and 2024 gave teh team the necessary boost to rise to the top.
In a lot of ways, getting drafted to a team with a legitimate championship path is a dream come true... except for one crucial detail: the Fever's cap space is already tight, and it doesn't appear likely all three rookies will make the cut. So like a lot of other players in that exact position, Timpson, Hall, and Ejim will spend training camp proving they deserve a spot on the Fever's final roster.
Makayla Timpson has a distinct edge
Timpson stood out to fans and the Fever front office long before she was drafted this month. Soon after the draft, Timpson was described as exactly the type of player the team was looking for, and she was also described as one of Clark's all-time favorite types of players: a rim runner.
rookie crew is here to work 💼
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 24, 2025
Makayla Timpson, Bree Hall and Yvonne Ejim are getting after it in Indy. pic.twitter.com/9FEfHNEuxn
In the days that have followed the draft the team has made it clear that they're seriously investing in Timpson no matter what. Even if she doesn't make the final roster this season, the knowledge being shared by Fever vets will serve Timpson well overseas for a year or two, and it seems likely the team will plan to bring her back over as soon as it's fiscally possible.
But if she does make the final roster, the sky is the limit. Footage shared by the Fever on Thursday, April 24, shows that Timpson is taking training camp extremely seriously — Boston is seen walking her through something that happened on court; about 30 seconds into the video she's seen somehow stretching high enough to snag an off pass from Clark that landed behind her head and still get it in the basket.
That kind of athleticism and wingspan is a formidable combination that certainly appears to be working in Timpson's favor. Her collegiate credentials — she was a three-time ACC All-Defensive Team honoree for Florida State and averaged 17.5 points, 10.6 rebounds,1.8 steals, and 3.1 blocks during her senior season — played a major role in the Fever's selection, and when it comes to who will stay and who will go, she's got a strong case to be awarded a jersey this year.