Makayla Timpson breakout game lifts Indiana Fever to important overtime win over Atlanta Dream

The Indiana Fever had to come back late, and did to force overtime with some good fortunes. Here's why it was an important win, and what we learned.

sports.yahoo.com ·2h ago

In a crucial overtime win, the Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream 95-91 on Sunday at State Farm Arena, securing a 2-2 season series tiebreaker. Caitlin Clark led the scoring with 26 points and nine assists, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points for her 19th consecutive game with 20 or more points. Makayla Timpson had a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds. Aliyah Boston contributed 18 points and 14 rebounds.

The Fever's defense was a key factor in their victory, holding the Dream to an 0-for-6 start in the first half, including two blocks from Timpson and two steals from Boston. Indiana trailed by eight points with nine minutes left, but found ways to get back in the game, including a crucial foul on Reese negating a Dream possession. Mitchell kept the Fever in striking distance with a three-pointer with a minute left, ultimately leading to overtime.

Timpson was instrumental in the overtime, scoring six points in just three minutes, including a putback after Mitchell's miss. This win was significant for the Fever, as it maintained a chance to win the second tiebreaker based on record against teams with a winning percentage over .500. The victory also put them one and a half games ahead of the Dream for the fourth seed and final homecourt advantage as the regular season winds down.

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