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The Golden State Valkyries have found success with a combination of experienced veterans and first-year players to synergize together on the court.
Being an expansion franchise in their first year, Valkyries were in a somewhat unique position, having to build their roster quite literally from the ground up by selecting players from other teams via the Expansion Draft in addition to the conventional method of drafting rookies out of college or international leagues.
This results in a mix of veterans and newcomers who are sharing the experience of building a team together for the first time in a new city.
The veterans involved bring a wealth of experience to guide the team. One veteran in particular crossed a major milestone in the Valkyries’ one-point win over the Washington Mystics on Thursday.
Valkyries veteran guard Tiffany Hayes crossed the 10,000 career minute mark during the game, becoming just the 42nd WNBA player in WNBA history to do so.
The Valkyries celebrated Hayes’ milestone with a mid-game post on X, captioning the post, “They say it takes 10,000 minutes to master something. ✨🪽 Congratulations to @tiphayes3 who becomes the 42nd player in @WNBA history to hit the 10,000 minute mark.”
They say it takes 10,000 minutes* to master something. ✨🪽
Congratulations to @tiphayes3 who becomes the 42nd player in @WNBA history to hit the 10,000 minute mark.@JWinery | Celebrating Milestones pic.twitter.com/0guZEOsMUW
— Golden State Valkyries (@valkyries) August 1, 2025
The 35-year-old guard has been a critical part of the Valkyries in 2025. She is the team’s second-leading scorer behind the now injured Kayla Thornton, averaging 12.7 points-per-game while shooting 43.4% from the field and a stellar 44.7% from three.
Hayes has enjoyed a great deal of success in her career in both college and the WNBA, with honors including Sixth Woman of the Year in 2024 with the Las Vegas Aces and both All-Star and All-WNBA First Team selections. Hayes has also enjoyed championship success, winning two NCCA titles with the UConn Huskies in 2009-10.
The veteran guard played 11 seasons with the Atlanta Dream from 2012-22, then briefly retired in 2023 after a one-season stint with the Connecticut Sun before returning to the WNBA with the Las Vegas Aces. She then joined the Valkyries as a free agent ahead of their debut season.
Hayes’ experience is a boon to the fellow guards on her team, giving a great example to follow. The Valkyries’ back court options are particularly young, with rookie Kaitlyn Chen and second-year professionals Kate Martin and Carla Leite playing alongside Hayes, and they are sure to pick up a great deal of knowledge playing with the 13-year veteran.
