Connecticut Sun guard Tiffany Hayes is grateful for her second act — Andscape

In more ways than one, this WNBA season has marked a sense of return for Connecticut Sun guard Tiffany Hayes.

It began with a return to one of her first basketball homes. In January, Hayes was traded from the Atlanta Dream, an organization she had spent the last decade with, to the Connecticut Sun. It’s in Connecticut where Hayes first put herself on the national map with the nickname “Tip” as a member of two national championship teams with UConn.

This month has marked Hayes’ return to playoff basketball. Her last appearance was five seasons ago when she led the Dream within a game of an appearance in the WNBA Finals.

And in some ways, it’s also been a welcome return to full form for Hayes, who has been able to play a complete WNBA season without missing any action due to injury for the first time in multiple seasons.

“I’m thankful that I was able to be accepted here with open arms and be able to gel with this team the way I have,” said Hayes. “Being healthy for the majority of the season, I’m thankful for that part as well.”

It’s surely been an adjustment for the WNBA veteran, but Hayes has become a pivotal part of a Connecticut team looking to get over the championship hump. As the Sun prepares for the start of their semifinals series against the New York Liberty (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN), Hayes has been overwhelmed with gratitude.

“To get those [playoff] feelings again with another team that I feel really good with and good playing with, it’s definitely a nice feeling. It’s a feeling that I’ve missed. I’m grateful to be able to experience this, this late in my career,” said Hayes, who turned 34 on Sept. 20. “I’m taking each step and each day. I’m grateful for each day.”

Hayes never pictured changing her team colors.

When free agency would roll around with the Dream, Hayes said, she often never thought twice about where she wanted to continue her career. It was always going to be Atlanta.

This was the team that drafted her and a fanbase cheered her on as she developed from a second-round pick with potential to an elite league talent. Atlanta is where she calls home. It’s a community she had impacted and actively worked to give back to. Hayes runs a basketball gym on the south side of Atlanta with her sister called Hoop Nation, where they aim to enrich the community through sport.

When she learned that a trade had been put into motion, Hayes said, it hit her in a place that “didn’t feel good.”

“I really wanted to be one of those ones,” Hayes said. “I thought I deserved it and I thought Atlanta deserved to get everything from me, for my whole career.” 

Hayes’ final season in Atlanta in 2022 was tough for both player and…