Hayes Starting Role Sparks Game 4 Win, Castle Increasing His Three-point volume

HAYES’ BIG SECOND HALF TIES UP WNBA FINALS

With the Golden State Valkyries trailing a playoff series for the first time this postseason, head coach Natalie Nakase made a change to the starting lineup. She inserted Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes into the team’s first five, creating a three-Husky starting group alongside Gabby Williams and Kiah Stokes.

The move paid off as the Valkyries evened the WNBA Finals at two games apiece with a 67-62 road victory over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday afternoon. Williams finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals, Hayes scored all 13 of her points in the second half, and Stokes posted four points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. Kaitlyn Chen did not score in two minutes of action.

Stokes scored the Huskies first four points after diving into the paint on a pair of Valkyrie possessions to give Golden State an early 9-7 advantage. After Williams hit a tough turnaround jumper over Jordin Canada, she drove then kicked out to the corner for a Cecil Zandalasni three-pointer and a 14-7 lead.

Nine Husky points were scored in the second quarter and they were all by Williams, highlighted by a jumper over the hand of Angel Reese to give the Valkyries their first double-digit lead of the game, 31-20. Then with under 30 seconds left in the first half, she stole a DeWanna Bonner pass and turned it into two fastbreak points and a 42-26 lead.

Midway through the third quarter, the Dream trimmed their deficit to six points before Tiffany Hayes took over. Hayes, who was drafted in the second round and 14th overall by the Dream back in 2012, made a tough layup while being defended by Reese to silence the home crowd. Later, she drove right past Naz Hillmon for an easy layup to bring the Golden State lead back to nine, 52-43.

In the fourth quarter, Hayes continued to beat any Dream defender one-on-one as she jabbed to the left then drove right, flipped up the layup for the basket and the foul. She made the free throw to extend the Valkyries lead back 11, 57-46. Later, she beat Canada off the dribble for another layup as the former Husky was fired up, saying a few words to the former UCLA Bruin after the basket. Hayes’ 12th and 13th points of the second half came nearly a minute later after once again getting downhill and knocking down a floater in the lane for a 61-51 Golden State lead with 5:28 to play.

The Valkyries held onto the four-point victory as both teams will play a crucial Game 5 on Monday night back in Golden State.

CASTLE CONTINUES TO SHOOT FROM THE OUTSIDE

It’s just three games, but it is hard not to notice how many three-point attempts Stephon Castle has already taken so far this season. UConn fans were well aware that the one aspect lacking in Castle’s repertoire during his lone season in Storrs was his three-point shooting ability. Over the Spurs’ first three contests, Castle has attempted 29 triples, including 12 in the season-opener, then nine and eight in the team’s second and third games, respectively. He has made 11 of those shots, shooting 37.9% from three-point range. The 29 shots from distance is the fifth-most in the NBA.

Last season, Castle attempted at least eight three-pointers just eight times in 91 games, including the playoffs. During his rookie season, he reached that mark only three times in 81 games. So it’s clear the three-point shot was a point of emphasis this past offseason.

Castle scored 15 points behind 6-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-9 from the three on Friday night in the Spurs’ 114-110 loss to the Houston Rockets. Then on Saturday, Steph recorded 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 3-of-8 from behind the arc to help the Spurs (1-2) win their first game of the season in a 122-106 victory at the Dallas Mavericks.

REED JR. SCORES FIRST CAREER NBA POINTS

In the early part of the fourth quarter of that San Antonio Spurs’ 122-106 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, Tarris Reed Jr. scored his first career NBA points on an offensive rebound and putback layup.

Both Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban, first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, have now scored their first career NBA points. Karaban went 1-of-2 from the free throw line in the Sacramento Kings season-opener this past Wednesday.

Karaban and Reed Jr. are the 47th and 48th players to score in UConn-NBA history.

DAN HURLEY SHOWING LOVE TO “KILLER CAM”

The Memphis Grizzlies are off a 3-0 start after mounting a 17-4 comeback in the final three and a half minutes in a 111-108 win against the Golden State Warriors on Friday. Then took care of business against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in a 123-112 victory.

Cam Spencer scored 11 points on 3-of-5 from three at the Warriors and dropped a season- 13 points on 3-of-6 from three at the Kings. 

Against the Warriors, Spencer went on a quick 5-0 run, and even “called a timeout for Golden State.”

CLINGAN IN FOUL TROUBLE EARLY, BUT STILL EFFECTIVE IN BLAZERS WIN OVER KINGS

Less than two minutes into the Portland Trail Blazers’ 128-120 victory over the Sacramento Kings, Donovan Clingan picked up two personal fouls, forcing the big man to the bench. As a result, the two-time national champion played just 21 minutes but still scored eight points, hauled in 10 rebounds with three assists and three blocks.

Liam McNeeley (Charlotte Hornets)

• FRIDAY: 4 points (0-4 FG, 0-2 3-FG, 4-4 FT), 4 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 turnovers in 12 minutes. The Hornets lost to the Atlanta Hawks 128-81.
• SATURDAY: DNP (Coach’s Decision). The Hornets (2-1) defeated the Miami Heat 115-110.

Andre Drummond (New York Knicks)

• FRIDAY: 2 points (1-2 FG), 2 rebounds in 7 minutes. The Knicks fell to the Boston Celtics 107-103.
• Sunday: 4 points (2-3 FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 7 minutes. The Knicks (0-3) lost to the Orlando Magic 111-102.

Alex Karaban (Sacramento Kings)

• FRIDAY: DNP (Coach’s Decision). The Kings lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 128-20.
• SUNDAY: DNP (Coach’s Decision). Sacramento (0-3) fell to the Memphis Grizzlies 123-112.

Jordan Hawkins (Chicago Bulls)

• FRIDAY: Did not dress (recovering from illness). Chicago defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 132-125
• SATURDAY: DNP (Coach’s Decision). The Bulls (1-2) lost to the Washington Wizards 124-120.

Make sure you follow @HuskyPros/X and turn those notifications on for all the latest updates on your favorite Huskies in the Pros!

Subscribe to Storrs Central to support the UConn NIL effort and get access to the latest intel and premium content.