Golden State Valkyries sophomore Kate Martin beamed with pride for Tiffany Hayes after the veteran guard climbed to 31st on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing legend Sheryl Swoopes.Hayes tallied 17 points in a 17-point victory over the Connecticut Sun on Monday, bringing her career total to 4,890, edging past Swoopes’ 4,875.Sharing a Valkyries Instagram clip of Hayes from the game, Martin posted a heartfelt message on her Instagram Stories.“Proud of youuu,” Martin wrote, tagging Hayes.Kate Martin sends heartfelt message to Tiffany HayesNow in her 14th WNBA season, Hayes is playing on a one-year, $200,000 deal with the expansion Valkyries, who made their league debut this year. She is fresh off winning the 2024 Sixth Player of the Year award, her first end-of-season honor since her days with the Atlanta Dream in the 2010s.After the game, Hayes reflected on passing Swoopes.“That's a legend. Shoutout to Sheryl Swoopes," Hayes said. “It means a lot. I appreciate anybody that comes before me. That's definitely dope."Swoopes is widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s basketball players, becoming the first player signed to the WNBA, winning three league MVP awards, four championships and earning a spot among the league’s Top 15 Players of All Time at the 2011 All-Star Game.Kate Martin exercising patience in her second WNBA seasonAfter a limited rookie year with the Las Vegas Aces, Kate Martin found a bigger role when the Golden State Valkyries joined the league through expansion.She has more than doubled her scoring average, from 2.6 points last year to 6.0 this season, while increasing her minutes to 16.1 per game.Speaking with Jane Kenny of The San Francisco Standard, Martin said she is focused on controlling the aspects of her game she can influence.“For me personally, it’s just controlling what I can control,” she said. “It definitely depends if we have players out or not, depending on how many minutes, but I never try to focus on how many minutes I’m going to get.“Some people don’t realize that my game is still developing. I’m still figuring out who I am as a basketball player in the WNBA. I’m only halfway through my second year … so just getting more comfortable out there.”This season, Martin has already logged eight double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 21 points, after recording just two such performances last year.