Valkyries Announce Tiffany Hayes Update After Leaving Mercury Game
A WNBA roster can be a revolving door at times. Players come in and out constantly and for a myriad of reasons and as one player is scratched or sat, another takes their place, creating a delicate balance of opportunity for the 12 players on a given team.
For the Golden State Valkyries, that give and take of roster opportunities was on display between Tuesday's game and the subsequent rematch on Friday night against the Phoenix Mercury. Golden State guard Tiffany Hayes was scratched from Tuesday's lineup minutes before tip-off for rest, while forward Cecilia Zandalasini was left out of the lineup due to an issue with her calf, an issue that has persisted and kept her off Friday's roadtrip to Arizona.
To fill the void left by the absence of the two Valkyries stars, guards Carla Leite and Kate Martin got the Tuesday start instead.
Tiffany Hayes Rejoins Starting Lineup, Leaves With Injury
There was some possibility that Martin would get another start for Friday's game with Zandalasini confirmed out again, but the return of Hayes from her time of rest changed that, keeping Martin from the elusive second straight start in the 2025 season.
However, just as quickly as Hayes returned to the lineup more tragedy struck the already embattled Valkyries roster. With just over seven minutes left in the third quarter, Hayes charged after a pass to Mercury forward Kahleah Copper and collided with her in the process.
Both crumpled to the ground but Hayes stayed there. As she fell, she seemed to bend her knees backward and hit them against the court floor. She left the game soon after. It's not yet clear what the severity of that injury is, but the Valkyries have announced an update, revealing Hayes sustained a left knee injury and will not return to the game (via Kenzo Fukada of ClutchPoints).
More tough injury news for Golden State: Tiffany Hayes has suffered a left knee injury and will not return to tonight’s game. She will undergo further testing, per team.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) August 23, 2025
She had a hard collision with Kahleah Copper in the third quarter (seen below) pic.twitter.com/x0E7xfgl6o
Golden State is already down its leading scorer in Kayla Thornton, who is out for the season. Any extended loss of Hayes, the Valkyries' second leading scorer, would be a devastating blow in the home stretch of the season.
The Valkyries stand on the edge between the postseason and not; with the seventh best record out of eight possible playoff spots, every game down the stretch counts.
Bio: Jack Haslett is a writer and photographer covering Golden State Valkyries basketball for Sports Illustrated. Jack has previously published work with the Sporting Tribune, the Long Beach Current and DIG Magazine, covering sports, community events and news. A graduate from Long Beach State University, Jack has a passion for writing, photography and all things sports.