“I knew there was a big risk,” said Tiffany Hayes when she chose to join the Golden State Valkyries last season. And she was indeed right. Leaving the Las Vegas Aces, one of the league’s most successful franchises, for a brand-new expansion team was a move filled with uncertainty.

Now, a year later, it seems like Hayes had changed her mind about the Valkyries. The 13-year veteran and 2024 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year has now re-signed with the team. As the Golden State Valkyries announced on Saturday, April 18, she signed a one-year contract.

She helped lay the foundation of this team. Now she has chosen to continue helping with its building, at least for one more season. News: the Golden State Valkyries have resigned Tiffany Hayes to a one-year deal, the team announced. — Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) April 18, 2026 Tiffany Hayes joined the Golden State Valkyries as a free agent in February 2025.

She made a deliberate choice to leave a championship contender in the Las Vegas Aces. And she chose what was essentially a “startup” franchise. And she absolutely backed up that decision.

Despite being limited to 26 regular-season games due to a late-season knee injury, Hayes was a cornerstone of the Valkyries’ rotation and leadership, averaging 11.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. Her performance, of course, translated to the team’s 23-21 record, which became a WNBA record for wins by an expansion team. They also made it to the playoffs, though their run ended in the first round against the Minnesota Lynx.

The Valkyries are definitely hoping to do better this season. This explains why they have focused on retaining their core from that historic inaugural year while also adding veteran championship experience. Apart from Tiffany Hayes, they have also re-signed Kayla Thornton to a one-year contract, as well as Veronica Burton, Iliana Rupert, and Janelle Salaün on multi-year deals.

Burton was the WNBA Most Improved Player last season, while Thornton was the team’s first-ever All-Star. Apart from these re-signings, they also brought in recent All-Star Gabby Williams on a multi-year deal, and three-time WNBA champion center Kiah Stokes on a two-year deal. The expectation is that both will be primary starters this season.

As it appears, they’ve definitely put together a stronger squad. They have a preseason opener against the Seattle Storm on April 26. Their regular-season opener is also against the same team on May 8.

Hopefully, with what they’ve put together, they will get through the 2026 season with better results than last year. Valkyries GM Welcomes Tiffany Hayes Back After Foundational First Season When Tiffany Hayes first signed for the Golden State Valkyries back in 2025, Valkyries General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin described her as a “dynamic scorer who can change the momentum of a game in an instant.” She also noted that her arrival “adds another important piece to what they were building here in the Bay Area.” As it stands, she seems to maintain that stance still, and for her, having Hayes back is truly special.

As she puts it, “Being able to welcome Tip back to her second home is truly special.” In fact, she also acknowledged the role Tiffany Hayes played in kickstarting the Valkyries franchise, adding, “Tip helped lay the foundation on and off the court for this team, and that’s not something you take for granted.” As for Tiffany Hayes, she will surely feel delighted by the opportunity to continue leading this Valkyries team. When she first signed in 2025, she mentioned that she hadn’t really had the chance to step into a leadership role elsewhere. And that was something she wanted to work on for a long time.

And true to her words, she delivered in that aspect. As Nyanin also said, “She’s an experienced leader and veteran player who showed up for the Bay.” And of course, they are excited to have her back.