Tiffany Hayes has been one of the most impressive players in the postseason so far, averaging 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 stocks off the bench for the Golden State Valkyries on their quest for a championship. The veteran guard has been an explosive force for the No. 2 seed, scoring when they need it most and putting pressure on opposing defenses.
It’s especially shocking given that almost three years ago, in December of 2023, Hayes announced that she was retiring from the WNBA after 11 seasons in the league. “I’m older now,” Hayes said on the Counted Me Out podcast. “I’m so busy because I play year-round, I just figured I’d focus on one thing and then summertime, I can turn up my businesses, turn up time with my family, and just live like that. I want to see how that goes.”
It’s not like the guard’s play was deteriorating in any significant way, either: in 2023, Hayes averaged 12.1 points, three rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game as a starter for a Connecticut Sun team that made the semifinals (in which she averaged 14.3 points). It was just a matter of shifting priorities and time – not to mention, the new WNBA CBA had not yet been signed, so the time and energy spent on the basketball season by most players was far from proportional to what they were being paid.
Hayes’ time on the sidelines was short-lived. Just five months later, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces announced that they had signed the veteran guard for the 2024 season. She came off the bench and averaged 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, earning her Sixth Player of the Year honors over Leonie Fiebich and Marina Mabrey. The Aces lost in the Finals to the New York Liberty that season, but Hayes’ importance to the team was solidified, not to mention validated by league voters.
With the 2025 expansion draft looming, Las Vegas protected the guard from being sniped by the Valkyries, but their efforts fell short at the end. During free agency, Hayes signed with the expansion team, a monumental move that brought veteran locker room presence for the team while also turning heads as proof that the new franchise could be a premier free agent location. Hayes was reunited with coach Natalie Nakase, who’d served as an assistant coach for the Aces in 2024 and was named as the Valkyries’ head coach in 2025.
“[Hayes’] versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team’s identity,” Nakase said. “She’s also an exceptional mentor who understands what it takes to play, and succeed, at the highest level.”
Golden State’s Beating Heart
Before any game, you may find Hayes sprinting between the court and locker room at full speed, greeting the arena staff along the way as her shoes squeak louder than the music the players are warming up to just outside. That sums up what she brings to the Valkyries pretty well: a non-stop motor with the people skills to keep the rest of the machine running. As the oldest player on the No. 2 seed, it falls on Hayes — alongside WNBA champions Kiah Stokes and Kayla Thornton — to provide an example of what winning looks like.
“They bring a level of composure. When you see that they’re at ease, you know, it relaxes everyone else, especially in those big moments,” said Veronica Burton, the 2025 Most Improved Player and Golden State’s franchise point guard. “In this series especially, we’ll continue to lean on them and learn from them.”
If you’ve been watching the Valkyries’ playoff run, you’d know what Burton means. Hayes has scored over 15 points three times during the postseason, including leading the Valkyries in scoring with 21 points in 17 minutes as the Valkyries eked out a victory against the Aces in Game 2 83-81. In the rare moments where neither Gabby Williams or Veronica Burton has been able to put the ball in the bottom of the net, Golden State can count on being able to deploy the veteran for a burst in scoring.
Hayes spent the first 10 years of her professional career with the Atlanta Dream, the team with which the Valkyries are currently battling for a title. In 2013, they reached the Finals before being swept 3-0 by the Minnesota Lynx. Hayes scored 20 points in Game 3, leading the Dream within 10 points of extending the series. She’s also played alongside DeWanna Bonner, a legend of the game who joined Atlanta’s squad late into the season.
Her impact reaches far beyond the players on the floor. After Game 1, which the Valkyries won 68-64, Coach Natalie Nakase said, “[Hayes] wants this…I’m gonna put a little bit more energy tonight in the film because I wanna win this for Tip.”
The two clearly have a deep respect for one another. “She learns her players,” Hayes said of her coach. “She’s learning us, and she’s learning how to teach each of us, not only individually, but as a team, together, and I think that’s what makes us so special.”
The same day, Nakase fondly recounted a story from Hayes’ early days on the Valkyries. “She had, I think, a billboard of herself…It was off the freeway, and she sent it to me, and she’s like, ‘I’ve never had this type of acknowledgement, love, and support from my community.’ She sent it to her mom, and her mom was crying.”
“It was just cool to see her grow into this role [and take]the leap of faith with me. And now look: she’s thriving…because of the love and care that we have in our culture.”
The Valkyries find themselves down 2-1 heading into Game 4 in Atlanta, and Hayes’ tenacity will be paramount for the team to steal a win on the road. If the rest of the postseason is any indication, the vet will be ready.
