The WNBA finally got people to pay attention.
Now, some of its players seem to be learning what comes with that attention.
Golden State Valkyries guard Tiffany Hayes, also known as Tip Hayes, created a stir on social media by interacting with fans who were trashing the league’s most famous player, Caitlin Clark. Hayes even appeared to laugh at one fan’s comment that seemed to imply a potential threat toward Clark.
All of this stems from a heated on-court exchange between Clark and Hayes during Friday night’s game (and subsequent postgame comments).
Clark returned from a one-game absence due to a back injury and helped the Fever beat the Valkyries, 90-82. She finished with 22 points and nine assists, while Hayes scored 19 points off the bench for Golden State.
During the third quarter, Clark drilled a deep 3-pointer from the logo while Hayes was defending. Clark appeared to say something after the shot, and Hayes responded as the two exchanged words.
That alone isn’t a major issue. Trash talk is common in sports and is part of the game. Clark is certainly no stranger to trying to get into opponents’ heads with both her play and her chirps.
But this situation didn’t end on the court.
Hayes was later caught on a hot mic before her post game media availability saying, “They’re never going to start calling a foul on her. If they did, she would never get to play in the games.”
It was not definitively clear that Hayes was referring to Clark, but given the context of the game and the online reaction to their exchange, many fans took it that way.
Then came Hayes’ social media activity.
Screenshots circulating online appear to show Hayes interacting with fans on Threads after the game. In one exchange, a fan wrote, “I talk ish, b/c you’re nvr on my teams…. but I was READY 2 support your crashOUT.”
Hayes replied, “lol that’s fair.”
Another fan wrote, “Your composure was much better than mine would’ve been, I’ll tell ya that!”
Hayes responded, “My growth is a gift and a curse but mostly a gift.”
Then came the post that drew the most attention from Clark fans.
A fan wrote, “Listen. I got some cousins we don’t speak about that will ride at dawn upon request. Just let me know.”
Hayes replied, “😂 that’s real.”
Obviously, Hayes did not directly threaten Clark. The fan didn’t explicitly name Clark in the post. But it seems more likely than not that the exchange is about the Fever’s star player. There seems to be a section of WNBA fans who really don’t like Caitlin Clark, despite everything she has done to catapult the league into relevance.
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But will the league take action against Hayes, or at the very least investigate the behavior?
The WNBA has made a public point of taking those issues seriously. In May 2025, the league launched its “No Space for Hate” platform, which it described as an effort to “combat hate and promote respect across all WNBA spaces,” including online discourse and in-arena behavior. The league said the initiative included enhanced technological features to detect hateful comments online, increased security measures, mental health resources and league-wide messaging.
The league has also shown it can move quickly when allegations are made. After a May 2025 game between the Fever and Chicago Sky, the WNBA investigated claims of racist fan behavior directed toward Angel Reese near the court. The league later said it gathered information from fans, team and arena staff, and reviewed audio and video before determining the allegations were not substantiated.
The previous season, after Connecticut Sun players spoke publicly about alleged racial comments and threatening messages during the Fever-Sun playoff series, the WNBA issued a statement saying it would not tolerate “racist, derogatory, or threatening comments” made about players, teams or anyone affiliated with the league.
So, if the WNBA is going to make “No Space for Hate” a central part of its public message, it should not be difficult to ask whether that standard applies here, too.
OutKick reached out to the WNBA to ask whether the league is aware of Hayes’ social media activity, whether it plans to review or investigate the posts and whether its social media policy applies to player interactions with fans in situations like this. The league did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The WNBA has benefited enormously from Clark’s fame. She drives ratings, sells tickets and jerseys and creates national conversation. She has brought mainstream attention to a league that spent years begging for people to care.
But that attention also means players’ actions are going to be scrutinized in ways they may not have been before.
The WNBA cannot have it both ways. It cannot cash in on the attention Clark brings and then shrug when players appear to encourage or laugh along with reckless commentary involving her.
The WNBA wanted the spotlight. Now it has it.
Some of its players might want to start acting like they know people are watching. Or, maybe, they are acting like people are watching and this is the kind of messaging they want to spread.
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