14 seasons and 418 regular-season games. That’s how long it took for Tiffany Hayes to win her first WNBA title. In this journey, the 37-year-old has seen all the ups and downs the league has gone through. However, Hayes believes the journey was worth it in the end, having made history with the Valkyries by winning the title in just their second year of existence, and made a bold claim about those who stuck with the WNBA all through these years.

“This is just what happens when you invest in women’s sports,” Hayes said during a post-game on-court interview (via @espnW on X), as loud applause to her statement forced her to pause momentarily. “We here, we here, baby; we ain’t going nowhere! Invest in women’s sports, baby.”

Indeed, it’s hard to ignore the point that Hayes is making. This landmark 30th season has delivered record attendance, viewership, sellouts, and financial growth.

The WNBA established a new single-season attendance record this year, drawing 3.8 million fans to arenas across the country across 330 regular season games. The league also set an all-time benchmark with 212 sellouts—an increase of 33 from the 2025 season—meaning 64% of all regular-season games were played at maximum capacity.

More than 90 million fans tuned in nationally, and the league generated four billion social media views. Notably, 51 broadcasts averaged 1 million or more viewers, up from just 19 last season.

Teams averaged 87.1 points per game, marking an increase of nearly 7% compared to the previous season’s 81.7 points per game. Starting in 2027, the WNBA will expand its regular-season schedule from 44 to 50 games. The league also announced three upcoming expansion franchises: Cleveland (2028), Detroit (2029), and Philadelphia (2030).

And the Golden State Valkyries have been at the forefront of all this growth, both on and off the court. This season, the Valkyries became the first professional women’s sports team to reach $100 million in annual revenue and a $1 billion valuation just two years after their establishment.

Hayes’ statement echoes the same underlying emotion: that the Valkyries’ growth and success have been nothing short of extraordinary. In a special July column for the Players Tribune, she wrote:

“I can hear the doubters already: Your team has only been around for two years! What are you talking about championship parades for? Slow your roll! But … this isn’t just any old town. This is The Bay. We’re not afraid to dream big in the Bay Area. It’s kinda what we do, actually. We’re just built different out here. Yes, I said we! Thanks for embracing a vet.”

WNBA’s first-ever Finals Game 7 at Chase Center was loud, to say the least, and the Golden State Valkyries edged the Atlanta Dream 68-63 to clinch the title.

After being held to just two points in the first half of Game 7, Gabby Williams erupted down the stretch. The Valkyries star scored 28 points over the final 20 minutes, establishing a new WNBA postseason record for the most points scored in a single half, and finished as the Finals MVP. The rest of the team scored 16 points combined in the same period.

Despite an 18-point performance from Jordin Canada, 16 points from Allisha Gray, and an eight-point, 12-rebound effort from Angel Reese, it wasn’t enough to secure a title for the Atlanta Dream. Falling short in Game 7, the Dream were ultimately denied a championship in what was the franchise’s fourth overall Finals appearance.

Tiffany Hayes finished the night with 11 points, going 4-for-9 from the field. For her, the path to the title seemed unlikely just a year back.

Hayes Reflects On An Emotional Season

Tiffany Hayes’ path back to the WNBA Finals has been anything but conventional. This marks just her second championship appearance, a staggering 13 years after her first trip with the Atlanta Dream, the team she defeated this time. Following a 2023 stint with the Connecticut Sun, Hayes officially hung up her boots in December that year. But perhaps the allure of the game, and the elusive pursuit of a ring, proved too strong to ignore, getting her out of a brief retirement for one more shot at glory.

Hayes and Nakase formed a close bond with the 2024 Las Vegas Aces, where Nakase was an assistant, and Hayes won Sixth Player of the Year in a new full-time bench role. After the Valkyries’ owner, Joe Lacob, and GM Ohemaa Nyanin hired Nakase as Golden State’s head coach, Nakase recruited Hayes to join the expansion franchise.

“Hey, want to take this leap of faith with me? I’m a little nervous, so it’d be nice if I had a familiar face,” Nakase asked Hayes at the time.

The 2025 campaign was brutal for the 37-year-old Hayes, who pushed through a broken nose and a lingering left knee issue. Yet, through every painful setback, Hayes, Nakase, and the resilient Valkyries weathered the storm, eventually finding themselves standing as the WNBA champions.

Safe to say, in hindsight, Hayes would be happy that she made the leap of faith with Nakase.

“Just looking back on our season, everything we’ve been through, all the learning, the process, the gelling, the ups and downs, and it all came down to this moment,” Hayes said in early October (via ClutchPoints). “But we got more to come because we’re not done. But I mean, f***, we got to celebrate this, man. This is history. This is history right here.”

For now, It’s going to be a long night of celebrations for Hayes and Co.