Kiah Stokes Powers Valkyries to Game 5 Win, One Victory From WNBA Title

The Golden State Valkyries are one victory away from a WNBA championship in only their second season as a franchise. They beat the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5 of the Finals in San Francisco on Monday night, with Kiah Stokes leading the way at both ends of the floor.

Stokes, a defensive specialist and role player for most of her career, could barely finish her postgame on-court interview as fans at Ballhalla chanted "MVP." Golden State coach Natalie Nakase said Stokes would be the team's MVP if the Valkyries win the title. "I heard chants. Ballhalla, I appreciate you guys," Nakase said. Veronica Burton added: "We're not here without Kiah."

Golden State set the tone with its defense from the start and led by as many as 16 points late in the fourth quarter. The Dream shot 29.2% from the field, the fourth-lowest mark by a team in any WNBA Finals game. The Valkyries also forced 17 turnovers, converting them into 21 points, and held Atlanta to 18 points in the paint.

Stokes, a three-time WNBA champion and three-time NCAA champion, has anchored that effort all series. Atlanta is just 9-for-48 from the field, and 0-for-8 on 3-pointers, when she contests shots. She has recorded three or more blocks in six straight games, matching Lisa Leslie for the longest such streak in a single season in WNBA playoff history.

Her work has also helped contain Dream star Angel Reese. Reese scored 51 points across Games 2 and 3, but she managed 7 on Monday and has now been held to single digits in consecutive games for only the second time in her career.

Stokes contributed on offense too, which was scarce for both sides. Her 13 points tied her season high and were the second most she has scored in a playoff game. Her three 3-pointers matched or exceeded her total from entire seasons in six of her 11 years in the league. Golden State's 64 points were the fewest in a Finals win since 2005, and the teams' combined 119 points were the fifth fewest in a Finals game.

Dream coach Karl Smesko credited her play. "She has great length. She has great instincts. She's really good at protecting the rim," he said. "We've just got to get her moving a little bit more, make it a little bit harder for her to just pack it in the paint, but give her credit."

Stokes is in her first season with the Valkyries after stops in New York and Las Vegas, where she contributed to all three of the Aces' championships in a four-year span. She has never averaged more than 7 points or 28 minutes in a season. Nakase has praised her leadership and composure as a veteran with nearly five dozen postseason games behind her. "I always know what I brought to a team. I always understood my value," Stokes said. "But just to hear an arena full of 18,000 fans, it really makes me feel appreciated and loved."

Golden State can clinch with a win Thursday at Atlanta's State Farm Arena, or Saturday back at Chase Center. The Valkyries said they will not look at Game 6 as a chance to relax. "As much as we love Ballhalla, we don't want to come back here," Stokes said. "So we need to go in with the mentality that we have to win. It's do or die."