INDIANAPOLIS — When Makayla Timpson found out she was going to be on the Indiana Fever opening day roster, the first people she called were her parents.

“They’re always in the loop for everything,” Timpson said Thursday. “Those are my two biggest supporters … my dad, he was just laughing, they’re all super excited. I’m the first pro in the family, so it means a lot to me.”

Timpson officially made the Fever team on Thursday as Indiana announced its 11-player opening day team. Indiana is only able to carry 11 to start the season because of salary cap limitations but should be able to sign a 12th player around the end of June when prorated contracts peter down.

Timpson, who was drafted at No. 19 out of Florida State in the 2025 WNBA Draft, is the only rookie to make the Fever’s roster. She beat out four other players for the 11th and final spot, including fellow draftees Bree Hall and Yvonne Ejim and training camp players Jaelyn Brown and Jillian Alleyne.

“I’m super excited,” Timpson said. “Grateful for the opportunity, thankful for the staff for believing in me, to get me on the roster, to be a great fit for the team. They’re super great, and I can’t wait to get to the season.”

The 6-2 forward impressed throughout training camp with her grit and poise, coach Steph White said, even as a rookie. She’s a tenacious defender, as evidenced by a steal and score in the first half against the Brazilian National Team, and her wingspan makes it so she can always get a hand on the ball.

She played a total of 25 minutes in Indiana’s three preseason games, mostly embedded in the rotation, scoring 15 points.

Timpson likely won’t be in the rotation, playing behind starters Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard and backups Bri Turner and Damiris Dantas. But playing time is not necessarily what White and her coaching staff are focused on for Timpson’s development right now.

“The most important thing for me right now with KK is just to be a sponge,” White said. “Just learn. You know, there are probably going to be situations where she may or may not be in the rotation, she’s playing behind some Hall of Famers. And so her opportunity to just learn and grow and get experience and reps and practice and stay ready, so that when she does get out there and she does get opportunity, that she’s ready to go.”

Indiana Fever news: Caitlin Clark led WNBA in assists as rookie. But league’s GM survey says she’s not best passer

Timpson is happy to accept any role on the roster — something White said was crucial for whoever got that 11th and final spot. The Fever needed someone who would “stay ready so they don’t have to get ready,” no matter the amount of minutes they end up getting. Someone who is going to stay engaged on the court, in huddles, in the locker room, and in any aspect of the team.

Timpson fits all of those attributes and more.

“Her upside is tremendous,” White said. “I mean, she’s a player who, throughout the course of college, just continued to get better, continue to get more efficient. She does things that you can’t teach. She’s got a great feel about her and great patience, and she’s coachable. And so you know, the decisions that we make, some for her are about this year, and some are about her future. And KK has a bright future ahead.”

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An independent forensic audit of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. that Gov. Mike Braun ordered nearly a month ago will be done by Washington, D.C.-based FTI Consulting, the governor’s press secretary said Wednesday.

As WISH-TV first reported in April, the audit will examine the finances of the Indiana government’s business development arm, including its relationship with Indianapolis-based venture capital firm Elevate Ventures.

The process should take from 6 months to 12 months. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. (IEDC) will fund the audit.

A statement from the governor’s press secretary, Griffin Reid, about the hiring of FTI Consulting did not provide information on how much the audit will cost the state.

Reid’s statement, however, said that FTI Consulting, known for its expertise in conducting audits for both public and private entities, will work in cooperation with the IEDC and the Indiana Office of Inspector General.

FTI Consulting was formerly known as Forensics Technologies International. It’s been involved in the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, the fraud investigation of financier Bernard Madoff, and the steroids probe in Major League Baseball.

The IEDC audit aims to uncover any potential wrongdoing within the state agency and its affiliated entities. Braun’s decision followed detailed reporting that raised questions about how Elevate Ventures operates and manages public funds.

The governor has previously emphasized that the audit is part of his commitment to transparency, a key aspect of his election campaign.

Elevate Ventures, created in 2011 by former Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels, manages $245 million and has invested over $189 million into more than 600 startup companies. CEO Christopher Day has stated that the firm is eager to participate in the audit to address any factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations.

Braun’s audit announcement in April coincided with a revision to the state budget that included a significant cut of 25%-30% for the IEDC, the largest reduction among state agencies.

Previous WISHTV.com reporting contributed to this story.

CLEVELAND – NBA regular seasons are, apparently, what you make of them.

Consider the Cleveland Cavaliers being eliminated Tuesday night from the 2025 playoffs by the Indiana Pacers, who closed out the conference’s No. 1 seed from the Eastern Conference semifinals 4-1 with their 114-105 victory at Rocket Arena.

The Cavaliers, like Oklahoma City in the West, had stormed through the season from start to finish, stringing together winning streaks of 16, 15 and 12 on their way to a 64-18 record. Indiana was back in the pack, happy to land the No. 4 seed with a solid but unspectacular 50-32 mark.

Look a little deeper, though. The Pacers started the season 5-10 and for a variety of reasons – a tough schedule, injuries, a slower-than-expected start by point guard Tyrese Haliburton – were 16-18 when the calendar rolled over to 2025. They were 13.5 games behind Cleveland on New Year’s Day and never did gain ground.

Then again, they didn’t lose any. From Jan. 1 through Game 82, the Cavs went 35-14. The Pacers, 34-14.

“I’m sorry their season had to end like this, in a way,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Kenny [Atkinson, Cleveland coach] did an amazing job with their guys, .They just kind of had the perfect season. Then we came along and we’re hot.”

Indiana didn’t get the acclaim the Cavs, the Thunder and the Celtics did in barreling to 60-plus victories, because it needed a couple months to find itself.

Now it finds itself back in the East finals for the second consecutive year. Here are five takeaways from the clincher:

1. Indiana: We’re not about the stats

It’s not accurate to say that the Pacers’ whole is greater than the sum of their parts because their parts are  many and talented. The roster is as deep as those of the league’s elite, with 10 or 11 players who – to use a popular NBA term – are stars in their roles.

But there is no Kia MVP candidate on this squad, no star’s name above the title. Haliburton is a two-time All-Star and a leader but the 31 points he scored Tuesday were the Pacers’ first 30-point performance of the postseason. Heck, even some of his peers consider him to be (cough) “overrated.”

“We’re different from every other team in the NBA,” Haliburton said. “We don’t have one guy who scores all the points. We defeat teams in a lot of different ways. We move the ball, the ball finds guys making shots, making plays.”

Said Carlisle: “People look at playoff victories and point to great scoring performances and triple-doubles and stuff like that. Series-defining plays oftentimes are loose-ball effort plays.”

Those moments were strewn throughout the game, but particularly so down the stretch. Myles Turner’s run-down block of De’Andre Hunter. Andrew Nembhard bursting along the left baseline. Bennedict Mathurin swatting a Donovan Mitchell layup off the glass.

All timely plays, pivotal sequences, and added effort.

2. Tough ending for Cavaliers

Boil it all down and this very special season for Cleveland ended with a splat. Three of its four losses in getting eliminated came at home. Its star, Donovan Mitchell, has yet to reach a conference finals. This wasn’t what it had in mind at all as it breezed through the previous six months.

Mitchell was so unprepared for this ending that, after the final horn, he went back out into the arena bowl to acknowledge the disappointed fans. He sounded as heartbroken as any of them.

“Just couldn’t believe it. Still don’t wanna believe it,” Mitchell said. “I love playing in that arena man. That energy, that crowd. Lost three at home, let the city down.

“Y’all gonna write us the [bleep] off man. But we’ll be back. We let the city down, we let each other down but will be back.”

3. Nipping it in the bud

The Pacers had gotten spanked in the first quarter 31-19 and Cleveland’s start spilled into the second quarter when it went up by 19, 44-25. Indiana scratched back to get within four by halftime, felt good about themselves … and then promptly messed up again.

Out of the break, the Pacers failed to execute a play, then turned over the ball. Cavs guard Darius Garland got to midcourt, veered around a soft pick-and-roll, then strolled in unobstructed from the logo for a layup. Several Indiana players shot each other puzzled looks. Carlisle called timeout just 55 seconds into the half.

“We had miscommunication,” he said. “We allowed a guy to defiantly just trot in there and lay the ball up. We came in the timeout and said ‘No more. This isn’t us.’ And our guys turned it around.”

4. Bryant shines in 3rd quarter

A lottery pick back in 2017, Thomas Bryant had settled into a journeyman’s role when the Pacers acquired him in December from Miami for the princely sum of a 2031 second-round draft pick. Indiana became his fifth NBA team in four seasons and his contributions the rest of the season were modest (6.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 15.1 mpg).

Not so in Game 5. Bryant was a force in the third quarter especially, active at both ends to give Turner the breathers he needed.

One sequence began with the 6-foot-10 Bryant getting his shot blocked by Evan Mobley. He raced downcourt, picked off Darius Garland’s pass and ran back for a fast-break dunk. He cut and dunked a pass from Obi Toppin, then closed his personal spurt with a 3-pointer from the right corner.

By that point, the Pacers were back up by 12. It had to be deflating to Cleveland for yet another player to come off Indiana’s bench and make a difference.

“Gave us some of the greatest minutes you can ask of a backup center,” Carlisle said. “His enthusiasm permeates our team.”

5. Brief scouting report for Knicks or Celtics

Playoff opponents are virtually autopsied by teams they’ll be facing in a series, and it’s safe to say the Pacers and Cavaliers knew each other inside and out. Still, they learn things from repeated competition squeezed into a week or 10 days.

Here’s Atkinson on the biggest thing he learned about the Pacers in this up-close look:

“The duration of their intensity,” the Cavs coach said. “How long they can go. They press fullcourt, and then they run consistently all game. They never stop. It’s hard to do. I give them a ton of credit for that. It’s extreme ball pressure.”

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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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