A playoff win can quickly lose its appeal when injury concerns surface during the game. That’s exactly what happened during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, as the Golden State Valkyries took home a 68-64 win over the Atlanta Dream, with Tiffany Hayes’ frightening incident in the final minutes leaving questions about the team’s second-leading scorer’s availability for Game 2. Now, the team has received an encouraging update.

“Tiffany Hayes (face) not listed on injury report for Monday,” Underdog WNBA posted on X.

Hayes was injured with about 2:38 left in the final quarter. During an Atlanta offensive possession, Hayes attempted to steal the ball from Jordin Canada, and when the ball came loose, she dove to secure it. She missed the ball, and the right side of her face hit the floorboards, leaving her on the ground in pain.

She stayed on the floor for a few minutes, with medical staff and assistants quickly coming to help her off the court. She eventually exited the game and headed to the locker room, but Golden State managed to eke out a win without her.

After the game, head coach Natalie Nakase gave the veteran a hug and told reporters in the press conference that she did not have any updates on her condition.

“I’ll know when she’s evaluated by medical,” Nakase said. “She’s a fighter… she wants this… I wanna win this for [Hayes].”

Her being back means a lot for the team, who have relied on her as a key part of its historic bench offense in their first trip to the Finals. Hayes has averaged 11.9 points per game over the playoffs on an inefficient 37.1% from the field, the second-leading scorer on the team behind only Gabby Williams.

However, Hayes did not make an impact on the scoring column, finishing with three points while making just one of her 12 attempts. She contributed elsewhere, adding six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block.

Ultimately, the Valkyries pulled off a late win, holding the Dream to a 2-19 fourth quarter and scoreless in the final 2:53, with Williams going 6-for-6 from the line to seal the game in the final minutes.

However, Williams was also a point of concern for Golden State and its fans.

Gabby Williams’ Status Adds Another Layer to Golden State’s Game 2 Concerns

Hayes was not the only player involved in a concerning moment during Game 1. Gabby Williams also seemed to experience discomfort during the game following a few physical exchanges.

Early in the game, Williams was left holding her face when Angel Reese ended up hitting her in the face while trying to protect the ball from her, leaving her holding her face. Though she got back up, there was no foul called on the play.

The next incident came with 2:15 left on the clock and Williams at the free-throw line. The Valkyries star had just converted her second free throw, and as Dream guard Jordin Canada tried to establish rebounding position, she made contact with Williams’ thigh, stepping into her space and pushing her to the floor.

Canada, now off-balance, tried to make her way to the other end of the court, but tripped over Williams. This sequence didn’t lead to a call either, with Williams seen holding her knee in the aftermath of the situation, visibly limping.

Following the game though, she downplayed the injury in the press conference.

“I’m ok. It was a long physical game, but I’m ok,” she said.

As it stands, Williams isn’t on the injury report, which means she should be good to go for Game 2 on October 19. The team will play their second straight home game, looking to take a 2-0 lead over the Dream, who lost their 10th straight Finals game, having been swept in all three of their previous appearances.

Heading into Game 2, Nakase expects the fans to step up their “hostility” to the Dream, something that she also asked them to do before Game 1.

“I did feel a different roar. So great job! But hey, level up. We’ve got Game 2,” she said in a press conference following Game 1.

“Rest and recovery, Ballhalla. Careful what you drink tonight.”

Now, all that remains to see is if the team can count on their two leading scorers to step up during the biggest game of their season. Only time will tell how it goes.