Florida State Professional Athletes

Natasha Howard Saves Her Best for Last

Florida State's Natasha Howard delivered one of her finest performances of the regular season when it mattered most, posting 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the Minnesota Lynx's commanding 86-66 win over the Indiana Fever on Thursday — a result that officially stamped the Lynx as the WNBA's top seed heading into the playoffs. Her +29 plus-minus was the exclamation point on a dominant night.

The win was no small feat in context. Minnesota had just suffered a blowout loss to Indiana on the road two days earlier, a game in which Howard was a pedestrian 6 points and -19. The bounce-back said something about both the Lynx's depth and Howard's personal resolve. With star point guard Olivia Miles sidelined for a second straight game with a left calf injury, Howard stepped into a larger role alongside Kayla McBride, who torched Indiana for 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting from three.

Howard's week as a whole reflected her value to Minnesota's playoff push. In Sunday's 101-89 win over Connecticut on Sept. 20, she stuffed the stat sheet again: 18 points, 11 rebounds, a steal, and a block, finishing +14. Over the week's three games, Howard averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds while bookending the stretch with double-digit scoring in two of three outings.

Timpson and Conde Round Out the Week

On the losing end of Friday's blowout was fellow FSU alumna Makayla Timpson, who logged 2 points and 1 rebound for the Fever in a -13 outing. It was a rough close to a tough week for Timpson, though she showed flashes earlier in the period — most notably a 13-point, 7-rebound effort with 3 steals in Indiana's Sept. 20 loss to Washington. She also put up 8 points and 7 rebounds on Wednesday against Minnesota before the Fever's regular season unraveled in the rematch.

Timpson's Fever enter the playoffs in sixth place, a direct consequence of Friday's loss to Minnesota. That postseason positioning sets up a challenging path through the bracket for Indiana — and likely means Timpson and Howard could meet again under playoff pressure.

Maria Conde, playing for Toronto, had a quiet week across three appearances. Her most notable outing came Wednesday in a loss to Chicago, where she contributed 5 points, 3 rebounds, and a steal. She did not register a stat line in Thursday's game against Connecticut. The Tempo, not in postseason contention, wrapped their regular season without much fanfare.

The Bigger Picture

The headline from FSU's WNBA week is unambiguous: Howard is playing the best basketball of her regular season as the Lynx enter the playoffs with home-court advantage locked up. For 'Nole fans tracking alumni fortunes, she's the one to watch when the postseason tips off — and Friday's performance was a convincing audition for a featured role.

Florida State Alumni Report | WNBA | Aug. 30–Sep. 5, 2026

Natasha Howard turned in one of the more complete individual performances of any Seminole in the WNBA this week — and it still wasn't enough to get the Minnesota Lynx over the hump.

Howard posted 9 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in a 81–89 loss to the Atlanta Dream on August 30. That kind of five-category stat line is genuinely rare at any level of basketball. Most players contribute in two or three areas on a given night; Howard was a force in all five, functioning as a primary facilitator, a dominant rebounder, and an anchor on the defensive end simultaneously — all in the same game.

The caveat is real: Howard's plus/minus sat at -9, meaning Minnesota was outscored by nine points during her time on the floor despite the gaudy individual numbers. It's the brutal arithmetic of losing basketball — transcendent individual effort swallowed by a team result that went the other way. Still, the performance signals that Howard remains one of the more versatile two-way contributors FSU has sent to the professional ranks.

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Elsewhere in the Seminole diaspora, Indiana Fever forward Makayla Timpson made noise this week — though it was the verbal kind rather than the statistical kind. Timpson drew attention after the Fever's win over the Connecticut Sun, where her post-game remarks prompted a visible reaction from teammate Caitlin Clark. The moment caught enough traction to circulate widely, a reminder that Timpson's presence in Indiana extends beyond the box score.

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Ta'Niya Latson (Las Vegas Aces) and Maria Conde (Tempo) did not appear in the research data for this period.

Florida State's WNBA footprint continues to grow in quality and personality. Howard is making the case for herself as an elite all-around defender and playmaker. Timpson is carving out a cultural presence in what is currently the league's most-watched locker room. For Seminole fans tracking alumni in the pros, this is a good week to be paying attention.