"Right out of retirement to 6th POY" - WNBA fans marvel at Tiffany Hayes winning Sixth Player of the Year Award after return from retirement

Fans hailed Las Vegas Aces guard Tiffany Hayes after she won the Sixth Player of the Year Award. This was the first time that Hayes had won an individual award in her WNBA career and fans made sure she received her due credit.

Interestingly, Hayes had retired from WNBA basketball after the 2023 season. However, the Aces convinced her to come back. Once Hayes stepped on the floor after retirement, it was all business.

Reacting to the post by WNBA, several fans lined up to congratulate the Aces star.

"Congratulations to Tiffany Hayes for an outstanding achievement—well deserved!" a fan wrote.

"Well deserved Champ✊," another fan wrote.

Giving props to the WNBA veteran, a fan wrote celebrating Hayes' comeback story.

"Right out of retirement to 6th POY", a fan wrote.

A fan congratulated Hayes and wrote that given how much she had worked hard, it was great to see her being recognized with the award.

"Congratulations, Tiffany Hayes. Your hard work and talent truly shine through, and it's great to see you recognized as the WNBA Sixth Player of the Year," a fan wrote.

Another fan wrote that Hayes was no longer sitting in the passenger seat but was now taking the driver's seat for the Aces.

"Tiffany’s not just riding in first class; she’s flying the plane," a fan wrote.

Another fan wrote that given how she had performed all season long, the Aces star completely deserved the award.

"Tiffany totally deserves it! she's been killin' it off the bench all season," wrote the fan.

A fan hilariously wrote that even though it was obvious that she was going to win the award, the WNBA had an agenda against Hayes so the league posted after some time.

"Absolutely despicable that you waited this long to post this. Surely an agenda against Tiffany. 😆😆," the fan wrote.

Looking at Tiffany Hayes' performance in 2024 WNBA regular season

This was Tiffany Hayes' 12th season in the WNBA. This was the second time that Hayes was nominated for the Sixth Player of the Year Award since her second season in the league, while she still played with the Atlanta Dream. In 2013, Hayes finished 3rd in the race averaging 11.3 points per game.

This season, the Aces star had her print all over the floor. Hayes might have averaged lower numbers on the offensive end of the floor, but she was as efficient as any player in the league.

Tiffany Hayes played 33 games this season with the Aces and came off the bench 28 times for her team. Throughout the season, she posted 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.8 steals per game.

However, her efficiency was highest since her 2022 season. Hayes shot 50% from the field and she was also one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the league (40.2% from the 3-point line).

This is the fifth time in the last six years that a player from the Las Vegas Aces team has won the award. The only time a player from outside the Aces has won the award was Brionna Jones, who plays for the Connecticut Sun.