Kiah Stokes won three WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces. Although she never averaged more than 2.3 points per game over her four seasons with the Aces, Becky Hammon viewed her as a trustworthy and reliable rotational player.
Natalie Nakase, who was an assistant coach under Hammon, is doing the same this season. Stokes joined the Golden State Valkyries in free agency, and, while she’s still not a big-time scorer, she has been one of the most underrated offseason additions in the league. The Valkyries wouldn’t be where they are without Stokes and her defense.
Stokes anchors the Valkyries’ defense
The Valkyries were dealt an early blow when they learnt that Iliana Rupert would have to miss the 2025 season due to pregnancy. Rupert averaged almost ten points per game and shot 44.2% on five 3-point attempts per game last season. She was supposed to be the Valkyries’ starting center and one of many players primed for a true breakout season.
With Rupert out, Kiah Stokes was pushed into a big starting role, and she has delivered defensively. Defense is how the Valkyries win games. They have the best defensive rating in the W and regularly stifle even the top offenses. For example, the Indiana Fever have the best offensive rating in the league but scored just 75 points the last time they faced the Valkyries.
Stokes anchors that defense. She averages 1.8 blocks per game—more than any other player except for A’ja Wilson—and allows other defenders, like Veronica Burton, Gabby Williams, and Kaila Charles, to play tight defense on the perimeter and gamble on steals because they know that they have a capable rim protector behind them. The Valkyries sport a 96.6 defensive rating with Stokes on the floor and a 102.4 rating with her off the floor.
Stokes has only scored more than ten points once this season, but her defense is one of the reasons why the Valkyries have the second-best record in the W.
While Stokes has been as steady as a rock defensively, Kayla Thornton and Janelle Salaün deserve a ton of credit for embracing their small-ball five roles, regularly defending bigger players, and giving the Valkyries more dynamic offensive options at the center position.
Stokes will be key in the playoffs
The Valkyries may just be in their second season, but that hasn’t deterred them from setting a five-year timeline for their first title. Last season’s historic playoff appearance was a great first step in that direction.
This year, the Valkyries have to win a playoff series. That’s the next logical step, and something they expect. In fact, the internal pressure on the Valkyries to go on a deep playoff run is probably higher than any outside pressure. As a three-time champion, Stokes brings invaluable playoff experience.
Moreover, her defense will be crucial in any postseason matchups. If the regular season ended today, the Valkyries would face the Washington Mystics and a strong frontcourt rotation of Kiki Iriafen, Shakira Austin, and Lauren Betts. The other teams in the bottom half of the playoff picture—Dallas, New York, and Atlanta—also have great bigs that the Valkyries will need to slow down to advance.
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