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Fever Coach Stephanie White Explains Unexpected Decision in Game 3 Loss to Aces

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 27, 2025 6:35 AM ET

The Indiana Fever fought hard on Friday night, but it still wasn’t enough against a Las Vegas Aces side that was determined to make amends for their Game 1 loss at home.

After stealing away the series-opener in Vegas, the Fever have now suffered back-to-back losses following their 84-72 defeat in Game 3 on Friday. Indiana is now down 2-1 in this best-of-five series, with the Aces having the opportunity to close this one out on Sunday in Game 4.

Fever coach Stephanie White spoke to reporters after the loss, and one of the questions she was asked was about rookie Makayla Timpson’s increased workload in Game 3. The 6-foot-2 forward center entered the contest averaging just 4.2 minutes per game in the postseason. Timpson, however, logged a playoff career-high 17 minutes in Friday’s loss.

"I like the physicality that she could bring," White said of Timpson. "I like the activity that she can have around the rim.

"They were going to [Smith] and [Smith] was burying our bigs, so we just wanted to give a different look. I thought her activity around the rim was really good."

As White explained, it was Aces forward NaLyssa Smith’s big game that brought about the decision to give Timpson more run. Smith was dominant in this one, scoring 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting, and White was looking for different ways to hold her down.

Timpson, who averaged 7.1 minutes per game in the regular season, responded with five points on 2-of-3 shooting, four rebounds, a steal and two blocks. The former Florida State standout made sure to take advantage of the opportunity she was given.

Unfortunately for the Fever, not even Timpson’s impactful play was enough to help them get a win. The 23-year-old forward sent a message with her performance in Game 3, though, so it will be interesting to see if White turns to her again on Sunday in Game 4 and, potentially, beyond.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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