Kiah Stokes has found her voice as a leader on the Valkyries, helping the team achieve the league’s best defense. Stokes, 33, is making a case to be on the all-WNBA defensive team, with 1.8 blocks per game, the most she’s had in a single season since her rookie year in 2015.

Stokes’ Leadership

Stokes has been working on her communication skills, with the coaching staff encouraging her to be more vocal on the court. “Our coaching staff basically tells me like, no, you need to tell them what you want them to do,” Stokes said. “Like tell them to wait on screens, tell them you want this. Tell them you have a high pass or a bounce pass. Like just tell them. So for me, it’s more like just vocalizing what I want. That’s just new to me.”

Stokes’ teammates have taken notice of her leadership, with guard Janelle Salaun saying, “The way she protects the paint is great for us. Whenever someone gets past us we know we have Kiah behind us there. It helps you gain confidence in the defense.”

Stokes’ Career

Stokes has made the all-defense team before, as a rookie in 2015, and has won three WNBA titles. She signed with the Valkyries expecting to be the backup center, but after the team announced that the starting center would miss the season, Stokes found herself as the consistent starting center for the first time since 2024.

Stokes is even contributing offensively, with 3.7 points and 3.3 shots per game, both her most since 2020. Her minutes in Las Vegas had gone down over the last three years, but she’s found a new environment with the Valkyries where she can shine.

Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.