Sheryl Swoopes’ Caitlin Clark-Tiffany Hayes 'Chirping' Take Comes With 1 Caveat
The Indiana Fever and Golden State Valkyries' game on May 22 was one of the best matchups in this brief but exciting 2026 WNBA regular season.
The Fever ultimately won 90-82 in what was an offensive display from both sides. However, it wasn't just the basketball itself that was entertaining. There was a lot of extracurricular activity from both sides, particularly between star Fever guard Caitlin Clark (who was coming off a missed game because of a sore back) and Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes.
Clark drained a logo three-pointer on Hayes in the third quarter of that game. After doing so, Clark seemingly said something to Hayes, prompting the veteran guard to say things back to Clark while she was talking away.
This exchange has since gone viral and sparked a lot of discussion.
Clark and Tiff talking shit lmfao https://t.co/OEgzKbqLvK pic.twitter.com/ACAa5KvrZK
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 23, 2026
Sheryl Swoopes Shares Verdict on 'Spicy' Caitlin Clark-Tiffany Hayes Back And Forth
One person who is clearly enjoying this budding rivalry between Clark and Hayes is WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, who conveyed this during a May 27 episode of "The Women's Hoops Show".
When the Fever and Valkyries rematch first got brought up, a clearly excited Swoopes said, "Listen! Girl, the whole Caitlin Clark, Tiffany Hayes going back and forth, the last time they played? Oh, I am SO here for it! SO here for it! So, y'all, don't call me, don't text me [on Thursday]. No. Because that is going to be SPICY! Do you hear me?"
After Swoopes and her co-host, Jordan Robinson, spoke about how great the most recent Fever and Valkyries game was, and how great the offense was for both teams, Swoopes added, "But the chirping back and forth, when Caitlin made the shot, and said something to Tiff, and then Tiff went back, and was in her face, like, 'Yeah, okay.'"
Robinson then said, "You can bleep this, but [Hayes] said, 'I'm gonna beat your a**.' She said, 'Get out my face'."
"Oh my gosh! It was funny. I loved it. Listen, here's my thing: I am here for it, as long as the refs allow it to happen on both sides. Do you know what I mean?" Swoopes added.
Robinson responded by saying it felt equal, to which Swoopes said, "It did! It did. But I'm saying, with this game coming up on the 28th, refs: Just do your job. Do your job. But let us enjoy it, because it's gonna be so good. It's gonna be so good!"
Sheryl Swoopes on the “funny” back and forth between Caitlin Clark and Tiffany Hayes:
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) May 28, 2026
“I am here for it, as long as the refs allow it to happen on both sides.”
🎥: The Women’s Hoops Show (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/qMkvndfVwL
Swoopes' caveat about wanting the referees to call it both days is valid. She'll clearly be locked in to Thursday night's game.
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Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
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