The Valkyries added a much-needed perimeter scorer to the roster on Thursday morning.
Golden State signed reigning sixth woman of the year Tiffany Hayes, who averaged 9.5 points per game off the bench and shot 40.2% from 3-point distance with Las Vegas.
Hayes, 35, played under current Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase, who at the time was an assistant on Becky Hammon’s staff.
“Having coached Tiffany last season in Las Vegas, I know firsthand the impact she brings both on and off the court,” Nakase said in a statement released by the team. “Her versatility, intensity, and ability to score will be invaluable as we build our team’s identity. She’s also an exceptional mentor who understands what it takes to play, and succeed, at the highest level.”
The 12-year WNBA vet was an all-league selection in 2018 and an All-Star in 2017, and has career averages of 13.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.
The 5-foot-10 guard spent the first 10 seasons of her career with Atlanta after the Dream selected her with the No. 14 pick in the 2012 draft out of UConn.
Hayes’ ability to create her own shot, along with her playmaking, is something Golden State desperately lacked, with no other player on the roster having averaged more than 7.4 points per game in the WNBA last season.
“Tiffany is a dynamic scorer who can change the momentum of a game in an instant,” Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin said in a statement.
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ESPN reported that Hayes, an unrestricted free agent, was protected by Las Vegas in December’s expansion draft.
After a slow start to free agency, the Valkyries have made a flurry of moves.
The team signed Monique Billings as its first-ever free agent signing on Monday, and then announced a trio of European additions to the frontcourt on Wednesday.
The team also unveiled its new practice facility in downtown Oakland on Wednesday. The Valkyries play their first game on May 16 against the visiting Los Angeles Sparks.
