The Golden State Valkyries will face the Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals starting on Saturday. It's just the Valkyries' second season as a franchise, so even though they are the higher seed, they are seen somewhat as an underdog because of their lack of history.
That doesn't mean the players are strangers to the postseason, though. One of the stars who helped the Valkyries get to this point is center Kiah Stokes. She is a three-time WNBA champion, including last year with the Las Vegas Aces. She has a championship mindset, and that's been clear so far this postseason.
Through six postseason games, Stokes is averaging 9.5 rebounds a game, which is the highest postseason average amongst the players in the Finals.
Stokes's incredible performances on the court have stood out to WNBA fans and analysts alike. A couple of the analysts working as commentators for the Finals for USA Network spoke on Stokes's impact on Friday.
“Give her Defensive Player of the Postseason. Is that a new thing we can do, a DPOP?" Elle Duncan said. "I mean, what she did on A’ja [Wilson], like they are not in the Finals without her.”
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Stokes did have an amazing outing against her former team, the Aces, in the semifinals. She was tasked with the duty of defending five-time MVP A'ja Wilson, and she did so with some ease, which isn't normal for most players.
Stokes's help in leading the Valkyries to the Finals is "undervalued," former WNBA star turned commentator Tamika Catchings said on Friday.
“When I look at Kiah Stokes specifically, I'd say she's probably one of, when we talk about her in general, one of the more undervalued players. We need to be giving her more props," Catchings said. "What I've loved is I've loved watching her evolve as a player, because before, it was like, okay, well, ‘Kiah Stokes, she can't really shoot, you know, mainly around the basket, she’s your defender, right?’ Now she's stepping up, she's knocking down threes. So she's able to do it offensively, which she hasn't before. She's expanded her game.”
In Game 3 against the Aces, Stokes posted a double-double by recording 10 points and 11 rebounds. She is making a difference on both sides of the court, and that shouldn't be overlooked.
We'll see how Stokes does in the Finals series against the Dream, where she'll face Defensive Player of the Year Angel Reese. That'll be a showdown you won't want to miss.