David Suggs Tue, October 27, 2026 at 3:30 PM UTC · 4 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Who is Kiah Stokes? Meet Valkyries center shutting down Angel Reese in WNBA Finals originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Valkyries blighted the Dream's high-octane attack in Game 5, securing a decisive 64-55 win to move one game from WNBA Finals glory.
Golden State's roster has long been considered an island of misfit toys. Gabby Williams leads a ragtag bunch of Valkyries talents that, although impressive, have tended to spurn the spotlight during their WNBA careers. The UConn product has been about as good as one could hope a player could be when matched up against one of the league's finest defenses.
And yet, she arguably isn't the most impactful player within the Valkyries ranks. Kiah Stokes has emerged as a formidable foil to Angel Reese through five games. If she keeps her defensive performances up, she could find herself with some more hardware.
With that, here's what you need to know about Stokes, the unheralded big who has emerged as a defensive star in the WNBA playoffs.
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The daughter of former NBA player Greg Stokes, the Valkyries big has enjoyed a splendid career as a role player on title-winning-caliber sides. Stokes won three national titles at UConn. She was a part of the Aces' 2022, 2023 and 2025 championship-winning teams. She's even a four-time Turkish Super League and two-time EuroLeague champion, further underscoring her ability to contribute to winning teams.
Stokes enjoyed one of the best season of her career in Year 12. On a team filled with versatile defenders — including Williams and Veronica Burton — Stokes was arguably the brightest, producing per-minute defensive metrics that placed her in elite company. Golden State defended a massive six points per 100 possessions better with her on the floor than without during the regular season. Opposition defenses posted a 49.4% true shooting rate when Stokes traipsed onto the floor, nearly seven percentage points lower than the league average. Her 1.1 defensive-shot value — a marker that reflects how much a player suppresses the value of an opponent's scoring attempts while they're on the floor — ranked in the 97th percentile among defenders this season.
Despite playing relatively few minutes compared to some of her higher-profile stars, Stokes was Golden State's most impactful across her 877 regular-season minutes. She has kept that reputation alive with glittering displays during the WNBA playoffs.
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Stokes showed off her defensive chops in the Valkyries' triumphs over the Wings and Aces. A'ja Wilson endured the worst series of her glint career when matched up against Golden State. Stokes was a leading reason why: the towering big evaded cross screens, pindowns and switches to wreak havoc on her former teammate.
All that amounted to Wilson shooting 10-of-32 when matched up against Stokes during the series. She shot 44-of-72 when guarded by anyone else, per Yahoo Sports' Nekias Duncan.
The WNBA Finals presented Stokes with another glimmering luminary to take on in the form of Reese, who entered the series averaging 18 points and 8.4 rebounds.
Reese powered the Dream to victories in Game 2 and 3, posting tallies of 30 and 21 points, respectively, while flaunting impressive efficiency. As TSN's Steph Noh noted, much of Reese's success in those games came on plays where Stokes wasn't guarding her.
Stokes has shut her water off in the games since. Reese entered Game 5 shooting 5-of-21 when matched up against Stokes. Couple that with impressive screen navigation skills (the Dream are generating less than 0.6 points per possession on plays featuring a ball screen defended by Stokes).
The Valkyries defense has been at its best when Stokes is on the floor this series. She might not be your traditional Finals MVP pick — Stokes averaged just 3.6 points per game in the regular season, struggling with offensive production.
But make no mistake; the 33-year-old is arguably the biggest reason why Golden State is out in front. If the Valkyries get it down in Game 6 or 7, Stokes most certainly will get Finals MVP consideration. She'd deserve it, too.
Source: Sports
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