It might be hard to believe it now, but there was a moment in time in which Tiffany Hayes wasn't so sure about joining the Golden State Valkyries. Hayes, who has since become synonymous with the team that will soon no longer be the newest to have joined the WNBA, told Sports Illustrated this week that she wasn't completely confident in the expansion franchise — but that she decided to take the risk, and it's clearly worked out for her.
That's a lesson that more league vets might heed during free agency in 2026 (assuming it takes place as scheduled), especially with two new teams joining the W — the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will need leaders, and Hayes' experience may be a metric to operate by.
Hayes admitted she's "so glad" she made the move to San Francisco from Las Vegas, where she had previously worked with Valkyries' head coach Natalie Nakase, who was an assistant under Becky Hammon. Hayes also made a pointed comment in reference to rumors she might depart the league sooner than later: "This place definitely feels like a second home to me and I hope it's like that for years to come."
The Golden State Valkyries had an inaugural season for the books
The Valkyries became the first expansion team to make it to the playoffs in WNBA history — a feat nearly no one saw coming back when the team held its Expansion Draft in December 2024. Golden State also set the record for the home wins by an expansion team with an impressive 23.
That she's been able to join a new team and subsequently thrive as a player (while also pushing everyone on her team to be as great as they can be) is a powerful reality for Hayes, who had briefly retired in 2024 and was outspoken about her plan to play out the remainder of her career overseas. She also launched her fashion brand, Seyah Renara.
But the WNBA came calling, and Hayes' return to the league with the Aces during the 2024 season laid the foundation for her experience with the Valkyries this season.
Now, it's clear Hayes can't imagine a future that doesn't include Ballhalla and Golden State Valkyries fans. Even though the team lost out during the first round of playoffs, the crowd remained on their feet, applauding the team that they've supported throughout the season (the Valkyries sold out every single home game this year, and there's little reason to believe that won't continue to be the gold standard for the team moving forward).
“We literally just lost the game by one point, and [because of the fans] we feel kind of like we won,” Hayes told Sports Illustrated. “Besides the tears and the emotions inside that our season is over.”