NEW YORK – When the Golden State Valkyries finally took down the Minnesota Lynx for the first time, head coach Natalie Nakase was ready to heap praise on one player specifically.
“Kiah Stokes just did a phenomenal job,” Nakase said following that 80-66 win against the Lynx on Monday in Minneapolis. “I know she’s had a lot of reps in terms of guarding her, but Kiah’s length– she moves her feet really well, so she doesn’t give up, usually, any angles. And then, more importantly, defending without fouling. Then she did an amazing job boarding. Credit to Kiah, just being a one-man protection down there for us, because (Napheesa Collier is) an incredible scorer; she can score at all three levels.”
In that game, the Valkyries’ defense held Minnesota star Collier, one of the best scorers in the WNBA, to just nine points.
Golden State Valkyries’ Kiah Stokes (41) and Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier (24) struggle for a rebound in the second quarter of a WNBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Stokes might seem like an odd choice to highlight. She’s a center that mostly dominates the inside on the block while Collier is dangerous all over the floor for the Valkyries (28-11), who have the second-best record in the league behind the Lynx heading into Sunday’s game at Portland.
But it was Stokes’ ability to clog the paint and make it impossible to move the ball through the inside that gave the Valkyries’ perimeter defenders a chance to lock down Collier and Rookie of the Year favorite Olivia Miles.
“I know a lot of the things that I do don’t really show up on the stat sheet,” Stokes told Bay Area News Group. “But it’s just it feels good when your coach takes notice of that. I know my role on this team. I’m just here to support in any way that I can. And you know, I’ll say it 1,000 times, we have great guards that make my job a little easier.”
Stokes is a strong candidate to make the WNBA’s first all-defensive team for the second time in her career. She has the lowest defensive field goal percentage in the WNBA at 40.8% and leads the league with an 8.1 block percentage. She is also fifth in the league with 2.6 defensive win shares, and, according to Basketball Reference, a WNBA-best 96.6 defensive rating.
“Kiah Stokes is our anchor,” Nakase said before the Valkyries’ 79-60 win in New York on Thursday. “She is always there. Sometimes she’s communicating or sometimes she just shows last minute and puts in a block. It’s almost like we are constantly always relying on Kiah and she loves it. I think that’s the thing, she loves to just not let anyone score, and when someone scores on her, she gets really, really pissed.”
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 09: (L-R) First assistant coach Natalie Nakase, Jackie Young, A’ja Wilson, Kierstan Bell and Kiah Stokes of the Las Vegas Aces pose with the WNBA championship trophy during a break in the second quarter of the championship game of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers defeated the Pacers 123-109. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Stokes has also elevated the Valkyries’ pick-and-roll game, something they basically didn’t have last year. Stokes’ screening, combined with the explosiveness of Gabby Williams, has altered their offense.
But her true bread and butter is the same as Golden State’s as a whole: defense.
“(Nakase) expects more from me,” Stokes said. “I’m kind of stepping up to the challenge. I want to be the defensive anchor, more vocal. I’ve been saying that all year, but it’s just not my natural instinct. Having the support helps.”
Nakase worked with Stokes from 2021-2024 when she was an assistant coach with the Las Vegas Aces, including winning a WNBA title in 2023 when Stokes started 22 games.
“She has gotten super loud,” Nakase said. “Her communication is at an ultimate high. I see that comfortability with our team every day. I think she gets louder and louder. Also, too, like just sometimes even end the game stuff. She’ll jump into the team huddle before us as a staff, just because she can be like, ‘hey, we’ve seen this before, guys. Hey, I know this about this team, or I know this tendency.’”
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 02: Kiah Stokes #41 of the Golden State Valkyries is congratulated by Gabby Williams #1 after making a three-point shot against the Portland Fire in the second half during a WNBA Commissioner’s Cup game at Chase Center on June 2, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Golden State has the best defense in the WNBA at a defensive rating of 101.4, and Stokes has been a defining reason. Stokes was expected to be a backup this season before Iliana Rupert opted out shortly before the opener due to her pregnancy. The former UConn star has seamlessly slid into the team’s most important role.
“Her presence is key,” Williams said in New York. “She saves everything for us. We kind of laugh as we see people still trying to get shots up against her. It allows us to be more aggressive as guards because we know that we have a really good back line, so it allows us to actually pick up ball pressure, which leads to more deflections and transition. So a lot of things don’t show up on the stat sheet, but she is definitely the anchor of our defense.”
The Valkyries already undersized to the point that 6-foot-2 Janelle Salaun sometimes has to play center. But when Stokes is on the floor, the Valkyries don’t have much to worry about.
Going into the postseason, she might be their most essential player.
“She gives us a ton of confidence,” Nakase said. “I feel very calm when she’s in there.”