The Las Vegas Aces is on a roll in the 2024 edition of the WNBA championships. Their quest for a three-peat is off to a tremendous start with them winning 5 out of their 7 fixtures so far. Their already formidable roster received a strong boost with the advent of Iowa phenom Kate Martin courtesy of the drafts. However, the Aces’ Commissioner Cup opener witnessed a glimpse of the immense experience of their No. 15 Tiffany Hayes.

A veteran in the league, the 34-year-old came out of retirement and joined the Las Vegas ranks in 2024. Consequently, she impressed everyone as her first piece of action in a Vegas jersey resulted in double-digit scores. Anyhow, her story is not confined to the specifics of this one performance. Apparently, her journey has witnessed many memorable insights the start of which happened within the corridors of UConn.

The Husky chapter for Tiffany Hayes

Being a part of such an elite basketball program, Hayes’ time under Geno Auriemma surely gave her a great platform to kick-start a career in basketball. Scouted by Tonya Cardoza through her AAU play, Tiffany Hayes was chosen to wear the legendary number 3 jersey. The number that 3× WNBA champion Diana Taurasi immortalized. As a freshman, she was given a chance to showcase her talent on 38 occasions. This garnered her a scoring average of 10.2 points per contest while shooting 43.5% of her field goals.

In addition to this, her contributions played a part in the Huskies becoming national champions in 2009. Hayes’s impressive exhibition also paved the way for her to the tryouts for the USA Women’s World University Games Team. A successful endeavor meant that she became the youngest player and the only freshman to represent the team.

This resulted in the head coach’s entrusting her with more responsibilities which reflected in her numbers the following year. Therefore, in the 2010-11 season, she was able to put up an average of 13.7 points and also grab 4.5 rebounds per game. Her numbers helped UConn with an NCAA title for the second consecutive year.

She picked up things from where she left off in her final year at UConn. As it turns out, she capped off her college basketball career with her best season. The campaign ended with her registering 14.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. This made her a worthy option for the Atlanta Dream. Evidently, in the 2012 drafts, she became their 14th overall pick.

Hayes’ inspirational ride as a pro

As a reserve for the Dream roster, Tiffany Hayes made it to the WNBA All-Rookie team with a scoring average of 8.6 PPG. This brought more opportunities her way in the form of 4 starts in 23 games the subsequent season. Moreover, her impactful average of 11.3 points in each game was instrumental in the Dream making it to the WNBA Finals. This development made the position of a shooting guard a permanent affair in the franchise in the 2014 season. Following this, she delivered with a 12.9 PPG.

After the expiration of her rookie contract, an extension was in order in 2016. Hayes put on a stellar display which helped Atlanta make it to the Playoffs. Her season average of 15 points per game included two valiant efforts of 32 points and a playoff career-high 30 points in the Dream’s losses against LA and Chicago. In the absence of leading scorer Angel McCoughtry, Hayes was entrusted with the offensive duties of the team in 2017. And she stepped up to the occasion by ending the season with her best-ever figures. Moreover, her 16.3 PPG was also responsible for her first-ever appearance in a WNBA All-Star Game.

The return of McCoughtry worked like a gem for the Dream as she combined with the 5 ft 10 in shooting guard and led them to the playoffs again in 2018. An inspirational run to the semi-finals was considered valid grounds for her inclusion in the WNBA All-Star Game for the second consecutive year.

The illustrious professional career speaks volumes of the kind of talent Tiffany Hayes has. Perhaps, this is the reason she was deemed qualified enough to be a part of the national team.

Hayes on dual national duty

Very early in her career, Tiffany Hayes was considered a bright prospect to represent the United States women’s national basketball team. She got a taste of her first gold in the 2009 Summer Universiade which took part in Belgrade, Serbia. However, in 2015 Hayes changed her citizenship to Azerbaijani which allowed her to be a part of the home edition of the 2015 European Games.

The year was 2023 when Tiffany Hayes decided to disassociate herself from the sport. Nonetheless, her passion and aptitude couldn’t keep her away from the hardwood for long with her return to the Aces. As much as fans are glad to see her return, they’ll also be intrigued by what she can offer to the franchise next.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato had to say about the marketing genius, watch this video.