Hayes’ revival of passion adds quality depth to Aces for home stretch of season

WNBA veteran Tiffany Hayes announced her retirement in December. But when the Las Vegas Aces hit her line in May, she answered the call, and they’re glad she did.

PHOTO: Kaylie Phillips/Jades Media

By W.G. RAMIREZ

LAS VEGAS -- Becky Hammon was well aware of veteran Tiffany Hayes' status early in the WNBA season.

After a productive 11-year career, Hayes announced her retirement from the league in December.

But Hammon, who has proven she knows what she's talking about after winning back-to-back titles in her first two years as coach of the Las Vegas Aces, saw an opening.

"I thought her wording on her retirement was interesting, which was on retiring from the WNBA, which meant she's still open to playing overseas," Hammon said.

So, Hammon figured if the organization could put Hayes in a situation where she was enjoying the game and having fun again, knowing the type of culture that's been built within the Aces organization, they might be able to entice Hayes back onto the court.

Thus, the million-dollar-a-year coach threw a suggestion into a group chat with team executives.

"We were going through (free-agent) names that were out there, and I was like, 'What about Tiffany Hayes?'" Hammon explained. "And they're like, 'She retired.' I was like, 'I freaking know. Like, call anyways,' Because I'm like, 'We're gonna shoot our shot, the worst she can say is, nah I'm good with my margarita and stay on that beach somewhere.'

"Luckily she took our phone call."

To say the least.

Since making her Aces debut on June 5, Hayes ranks 3rd with 8.9 points per game among players who have played 10 or more games as a reserve, also ranking tied for third with 2.3 assists per game and 10th with her 48.9% shooting percentage.

Hayes couldn't be any happier.

"Little trials and tribulations here and there, but it's still the best place that I have been in my career in terms of the culture," Hayes told WGRamirez.com before heading to Paris for the Olympics.

Hayes led all scorers with 10 points to go along with seven rebounds on Tuesday for Azerbaijan's Women's Olympic 3x3 team in an 18-16 loss to Spain. She returns to the court Wednesday to face the United States.

She'll return to Las Vegas next month to close out the campaign in pursuit of her first WNBA ring.

PERFECT FIT FOR TIFF

Since making her Aces debut on June 5, Tiffany Hayes ranks 3rd with 8.9 points per game among players who have played 10 or more games as a reserve, also ranking tied for third with 2.3 assists per game and 10th with her 48.9% shooting percentage.

PHOTO: Kaylie Phillips/Jades Media

To bring Hayes aboard, the fit had to be ever-so perfect, for both her and the Aces.

"I've been in situations where I've heard something from an organization and it was the complete opposite, or I've been in situations where I've (been) left completely in the dark and something else ended up happening that I was not aware of," said Hayes, the Atlanta Dream's second-round pick (14th overall) in the 2012 WNBA draft. "So I was a bit skeptical, like not in a trusting way with organizations in the moment."

So, beyond conversations with the Aces and her agent, Hayes reached out to someone she knew she could trust, another veteran who understands the importance of being a part of the right culture, in the right locker room, with the right vibe, and in the right role and situation.

Enter Alysha Clark, who has known Hayes for quite some time, has seen some of the “ups and downs of her career” and knows what she's gone through. For Clark, it was reassuring Hayes she'd be surrounded by people who want the best for her and people who will show her love.

"And that's really how we operate and unless you're in it you don't know it," said Clark, the WNBA's reigning Sixth Player of the Year. "It was just helping her understand the importance of culture here, the importance of family, the family ship that we have within these walls. Because a lot of teams have that as a front, and after you've been around this league for a long time, sometimes you're in great situations, and sometimes you aren't.

"And so just making sure that I was able to give her the truth because sometimes it looks shinier on the outside than it is, but I had to let her know like this is really what it is. Everyone shows up, and just the values that everyone has individually, and then what the values that we have collectively."

And it was just as important for the Aces - from the players to the front office - to know they were getting a quality teammate who would fit within the confines of what they've built under Hammon, president Nikki Fargas and general manager Natalie Williams.

"I know her character, I know her values as a human and as a person, and I knew she would fit right in because we have a team full of high-quality characters and high-quality value people," Clark added. "And I knew when you have those kinds of people everything else takes care of itself and so I knew she'd fit in seamlessly."

Which she has, not only in the locker room but in front of the always sold-out Aces home crowd, which has fallen in love with the team's newest star. It's a vibe she saw as a visitor in years past and now feels like one of the hometown stars.

"Every stadium can get loud, but I don't know, it just felt like a different type of loud here," Hayes said. "And it kind of gave me energy a little bit too, honestly, even being on the opposing team. So I'm glad that I'm here on this team now getting that same energy from them."

PASSION REVIVAL

Don't call it a comeback.

Hayes said her short-lived retirement was merely a break, so there's no need to consider what she's provided for the Aces off the bench a comeback.

Instead, as Hammon had hoped, the two-time NCAA champion out of Connecticut has regenerated the love she's had for a sport she grew up loving in Florida and has brought added dangerous depth to the two-time defending champs.

"As far as my career, I was great," Hayes said. "Some people think you don't win the ring, your career is down the toilet. I was great with where I was. I had worked hard my whole career. I had done all that I thought that I could do in this league, and I was good where I was going next."

Hayes said she was planning on some business ventures and planned to play overseas, as she simply made a conscious decision to eliminate the wear and tear on her body while giving her more time "to do other things off the court."

"So when they called, it was literally just a revival of the passion," Hayes said. "Just seeing how it is over here and hearing a few things from a couple of players that I had known already from the past, just saying how great it is and how (I'd) love coming to work every day and just a lot of that mixed with, of course, two-time champions."

Las Vegas was just as much a beneficiary in bringing Hayes aboard, as she named a first-team all-Rookie selection in 2012, was an all-WNBA first-team selection in 2018, and was named to the all-Defensive second team in 2018.

"I've always had a lot of respect for Tip," Hammon said. "I've always just kind of watched from afar, but her competitiveness and her try-hard factor, which is something I'm always really big on, she naturally has that kind of engine. She is naturally a gas pedal. She's super-fast.

"She gives us another gear. I mean, it's been a while since we've had somebody score 17 off the bench. She just steady Eddie, and you just know what you're gonna get. Tiff has microwave-score ability, meaning, instant offense. She gets out there and she's just disruptive. She's exactly what we need."

Aces guard Tiffany Hayes defends former Chicago Sky guard Marina Mabrey in a WNBA game on July 16 in Las Vegas at Michelob Ultra Arena.

PHOTO: Kaylie Phillips/Jades Media