The Atlanta Dream are finalizing a trade that would send Tiffany Hayes to Connecticut in exchange for the No. 6 overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, our Rachel Galligan reported on Thursday. The Sun acquired the No. 6 pick back in January as part of the Jonquel Jones deal.
When healthy, Hayes, 33, is one of the league’s most prolific scorers. She has spent her WNBA career in Atlanta, averaging double figures in scoring over the past 10 seasons in all but her rookie year (2012). Hayes was named to the All-WNBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team in 2018 as Atlanta took Washington to five games before losing in the semifinal round. Hayes was also part of Atlanta’s 2013 team that was swept by Minnesota in the Finals.
Hayes averaged 16.2 points on 55 percent shooting and 43 percent from three over the course of 11 games in 2022. She left the Dream prior to the end of the regular season to play in the Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey.
The UConn graduate will slot nicely onto a Sun roster that has undergone serious changes this offseason. Remaining in Connecticut are Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, DiJonai Carrington, and Natisha Hiedeman. Gone is the 2021 MVP, Jones, who was traded to New York in a deal that netted Tyasha Harris and Rebecca Allen along with the Liberty’s 2023 first-rounder. The Sun also hired head coach Stephanie White and general manager Darius Taylor to replace Curt Miller, who is now head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks.
Connecticut’s frontcourt is in elite hands with the trio of Bonner, Thomas, and Jones. What the team lacked was offensive punch from its backcourt, making Hayes the perfect addition. Hayes is battle-tested—a wily shotmaker with a bundle of lethal moves that ooze creativity. If she can maintain her above-average three-point shooting from 2021 and 2022, she will give the Sun a much-needed boost in the floor-spacing department.
From Atlanta’s perspective, Dream general manager Dan Padover is clearly operating with both eyes fixed on the future. Atlanta recently traded the No. 3 overall pick in 2023 and a 2025 first-rounder to Dallas in exchange for Allisha Gray. Now, the Dream have recouped one first round pick while parting ways with a franchise legend who no longer fits the team’s timeline.
