The Golden State Valkyries scored 68 points in the first WNBA Finals game in franchise history, and they won it anyway. Kiah Stokes was a big reason why.
Stokes blocked four shots, tying her playoff career high, and added nine points and seven rebounds in just under 25 minutes as Golden State beat the Atlanta Dream 68-64 on Saturday at Chase Center. Atlanta went 4 of 25 from 3-point range, scored eight points in the fourth quarter and did not score at all after taking a 64-61 lead with 3:12 left.
"Just tried to make things difficult, as difficult as possible," Stokes said, according to Yahoo Sports.
Stokes arrived at this series as a member of the league's All-Defensive Team, and she had already shown what she could do against this opponent, blocking a career-high seven shots against Atlanta during the regular season. She came into the Finals fresh off a series spent defending A'ja Wilson.
Saturday's problem was Angel Reese, the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Reese opened with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first quarter, and Atlanta led by eight after one. She went 0 for 5 the rest of the way, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out with 24 seconds left.
"She definitely got going in the first half and we just want to limit her touches, and a big emphasis on boxing out and rebounding," Stokes said.
Golden State won the glass 41-35 and the offensive boards 12-7, per the official box score. Stokes had three offensive rebounds of her own, and Gabby Williams pointed to one of them as a turning point. "Kiah got a big O board after I missed a layup, she got the O board and got the lid off the basket.
We got going after that," Williams said, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
Who slowed Reese
How Reese was held down depends on who is asked. Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase gave much of the credit to Laeticia Amihere, a former Dream player who guarded Reese for long stretches after halftime and helped shape the game plan. "She was really key tonight for our success," Nakase said, according to Sports Illustrated.
Nakase also told the Chicago Sun-Times that her staff did well calling when to switch coverages and how to finish them.