Kiah Stokes has been here before — four times, to be exact. Stokes made the WNBA Finals with the Las Vegas Aces in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, winning three titles as a key rotation player (and coming short once).

But, though her contributions were significant in those runs, Stokes has never been more integral to a championship run than she is right now as the starting center on the Golden State Valkyries.

The 33-year-old, who was named to the All-Defense Second Team, is averaging 9.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in these playoffs. Scoring isn’t her priority; she’s averaging 3.3 points per game, but she’s anchored the Valkyries’ elite defense and, at times, even outrebounded one of the best rebounders in WNBA history in Angel Reese.

On Saturday, in a 67-62 Valkyries win over the Atlanta Dream, Stokes grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. She became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 3 blocks in four straight games, and set a new Finals record for most blocks in a series: 14 and counting.

In these Finals, Stokes has tallied more rebounds (45) than any other player except Reese (49).

In large part as a result of her superb play, the Valkyries have tied the best-of-seven series 2-2. In Game 4, Stokes helped hold Reese to 8 points on 2-12 shooting, far below her playoff average of 19.4 points per game.

“It’s a tough job, but being our best defensive big, I own up to that challenge,” Stokes said afterwards, per Windsidr’s Madisyn Cunningham.

The Valkyries are now two wins away from doing the unthinkable, and winning a championship in their second year of existence. They’ll need the rest of their key rotation players — Gabby Williams, Veronica Burton, Tiffany Hayes, Cecilia Zandalasini, etc. — to put together strong performances, too. Williams (17 points on 7-21 FG in Game 4) has been the team’s most reliable scorer, while Burton (13 points, 5 assists) has found ways to impact winning regardless of whether her shot is falling.

And, on Saturday, it was Hayes who came up clutch; starting her first game of these playoffs, the 37-year-old scored 13 of the Valkyries’ 25 second-half points. Zandalasini was also effecting, adding 10 points on 4-8 shooting along with 3 steals in 18 minutes.

But, no one has been quite as reliable and even-keeled as Stokes, who has anchored the paint and put together a record-breaking defensive performance. It will have to continue for the Valkyries to reach the top of the mountain.