Tiffany Hayes gave Golden State a scoring boost in limited minutes Wednesday, October 7, 2026, finishing with a team-high 21 points in the Valkyries’ 83–81 victory over the Las Vegas Aces at Chase Center in San Francisco.
The win put Golden State ahead 2–0 in the best-of-five WNBA semifinal series, one victory from the Finals.
Hayes played 16 minutes, 32 seconds, shot 6-for-10 from the field and made all eight of her free throws. She added two rebounds, two assists and two steals without a turnover. Her production helped Golden State’s reserves outscore the Las Vegas bench 34–14.
The second quarter showed how quickly Hayes could change the scoring picture. She supplied 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the period, accounting for nearly half of the Valkyries’ 23 points. Golden State reached halftime ahead 42–31.
Her free-throw accuracy also contributed to a larger advantage. The Valkyries finished 25-for-27 at the line, while Las Vegas made 23 of 26 attempts. In a two-point game, those additional points proved consequential.
Golden State still needed a late response after the Aces moved ahead 76–74. Gabby Williams tied the score with 1:25 remaining, and Veronica Burton made a 3-pointer with 41.5 seconds left to restore the Valkyries’ lead.
