A child prodigy, Hayley Matthews was born in Barbados and raised in Bridgetown. She was introduced to cricket by her father and older brother at home after school. At the age of 8, she asked her school boys' team coach whether she could be a part of the team. Her request was accepted and by the age of 11 had become the team's captain.

Her extraordinary rise continued when she captained the boys Under-13 team - the first female to do so. Her international debut came at the age of 16 in a T20I game against New Zealand in 2014 and soon later that year, she made her ODI debut too.

Matthews was a key member of the 2016 World Twenty20 which West Indies won and shone in the final making a 45-ball 66. In the 2015-16 season Matthews played domestic cricket in Australia and also featured in the inaugural season of the Women's Big Bash League for Hobart Hurricanes.

In 2018, Matthews was named as the vice-captain of West Indies ahead of the World Twenty20.