Makayla Timpson didn’t need to score a single point to deliver one of the biggest plays of the Indiana Fever‘s comeback win over the Phoenix Mercury. The rookie forward’s emphatic fourth-quarter block changed the momentum of Thursday night’s game, and even Caitlin Clark couldn’t believe what she was watching after seeing the replay.
The Fever rallied from a double-digit deficit to defeat the Mercury 92-89 in Phoenix despite playing without Clark, who remained sidelined because of her lingering back injury. Kelsey Mitchell led the way with 29 points, including the go-ahead layup with 10 seconds remaining, while Tyasha Harris sparked the comeback by scoring nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter.
But after the game, one defensive highlight stole the spotlight.
Slow-motion replay made Makayla Timpson’s block look even more impressive
With the Fever trailing 79-72 midway through the fourth quarter, Phoenix star Kahleah Copper appeared to have a clear path to the basket and an opportunity to extend the Mercury’s lead. Instead, Timpson had other plans.
The rookie exploded off the floor and perfectly timed her leap, meeting Copper at the rim for a thunderous block that immediately energized Indiana. Moments later, the Fever ripped off an 8-0 run, completely flipping the momentum and setting the stage for Mitchell’s late-game heroics.
After the final buzzer, the Fever shared a dramatic slow-motion video of Timpson’s rejection from multiple angles, giving fans an even better look at one of the biggest defensive plays of the night.
Caitlin Clark had the same reaction as Fever fans
Clark may not have been on the floor, but she was watching closely. After seeing the Fever’s slow-motion replay, the All-Star guard reshared the video on her Instagram Story with a simple three-word reaction.
“My goodness.”
It didn’t take much more than that. The replay quickly circulated among Fever fans, with many pointing to Timpson’s block as the moment the game turned in Indiana’s favor. The rookie’s athleticism and timing stood out even more in slow motion, making Clark’s reaction one many fans shared.
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Stephanie White says the block changed everything
Clark wasn’t the only member of the organization who recognized the importance of Timpson’s play. Head coach Stephanie White highlighted the block during her postgame press conference, saying it provided the emotional spark the Fever needed to erase their deficit.
“Man, we got to give KK a lot of love,” White said. “That hell of a block that she had that started that on the defensive end of the floor. I mean those big-time plays give you a little juice, and she gave it to us.” Indiana certainly fed off that energy.
After falling behind by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, the Fever closed the game on a stunning run, capped by Mitchell’s clutch basket and a defensive stop in the closing seconds.
Mitchell finished with a game-high 29 points, Harris added 15, and Timpson may have delivered the night’s most memorable highlight. Judging by Clark’s reaction to the slow-motion replay, it was a play that looked just as impressive after the game as it did in real time.