Tiffany Hayes Brushes Off Caitlin Clark Exchange Before Fever-Valkyries Rematch

The women's basketball community can barely contain its excitement for the game between the Indiana Fever and the Golden State Valkyries on May 28.

Not only are both of these teams 4-2 and tied for second place in the league standings, but their May 22 showdown was one of the best games of the season to this point. For one, it was a high-powered offensive showcase between two fast-paced and exciting teams that are full of fun players to watch.

But what made the game even more exciting was that it seemed to get personal at several points, especially between star guards Tiffany Hayes and Caitlin Clark.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Clark and Hayes (both of whom are fiery competitors) were exchanging baskets while guarding each other throughout the first half. Then, in the third quarter, Clark sank a logo three despite Hayes' hand in her face, and seemed to have some choice words for Hayes afterwards.

This irked the 14-year veteran, as she responded with some of her own trash talk while Clark was walking back on defense. Ultimately, these two had to be separated by teammates before play resumed.

Clark and Tiff talking shit lmfao https://t.co/OEgzKbqLvK pic.twitter.com/ACAa5KvrZK
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 23, 2026

Tiffany Hayes Doesn't Think Much of Caitlin Clark Exchange

“I’m not really a go back-and-forth with players type of person. I just love to go get a bucket and I love to win,” Hayes said, per a May 28 article from Nathan Canilao of The Mercury News.

When speaking about the exchange, Hayes added, “She just made a play and chirped. And it was a little chirping here and there, and that was that. That was the end of it and it should have been the end of it.”

Ahead of the #Valkyries game against the Fever, I talked to guard Tiffany Hayes about here back-and-forth with Caitlin Clark in last week’s loss.

“It was a little chirping here and there, and that was that.”

Read it here: https://t.co/UAmPOWpwQo
— Nathan Canilao (@nathancanilao) May 28, 2026

While this sentiment is fair enough from Hayes, her saying that the back and forth should have ended when the game did doesn't quite align with her actions after the game.

This is because microphones caught Hayes saying, "They’re never going to start calling a foul on her. If they did, she would never get to play in the games," as she was sitting down for the postgame press conference, which was almost certainly a reference to Clark.

Tip, before she even sat down, was complaining “they’re never going to start calling the fouls on her. If they did, she would never get to play the game.”

Obvious who she was trying to imply, it’s just ironic considering how the Valks play & how one-sided the officiating was 🙄 pic.twitter.com/BDfeUmBW51
— allison (@_girltalk) May 23, 2026

Regardless, Hayes is right in her suggestion that this chatter between her and Clark should stick to the basketball court, and that it's just because they're two world-class competitors.

But it wouldn't be surprising to see these two talking to each other once again on Thursday night.

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