10/26/2026 09:29:00
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10/26 21:27 CDT Kiah Stokes' big night on both ends leads Valkyries past Dream
64-55 and within a win of WNBA title
Kiah Stokes' big night on both ends leads Valkyries past Dream 64-55 and within
a win of WNBA title
By JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) --- Kiah Stokes had 13 points, eight rebounds and three
blocked shots as the Golden State Valkyries moved within one win of a
championship in their second season, beating the Atlanta Dream 64-55 in Game 5
of the WNBA Finals on Monday night.
Angel Reese finished with seven points, 15 rebounds and five assists --- a big
difference from her two standout performances in the first two games of the
series at Chase Center. Reese shook her head when whistled for the second of
her three offensive fouls with 7:43 to play.
Fans screamed and clapped thunder sticks following the final buzzer as Stokes
spoke from the floor to chants of "MVP!"
"We appreciate you," a smiling Stokes said. "We got one more."
On a night leading scorer Gabby Williams struggled to find her shooting touch,
Golden State found that "strength in numbers" mantra coach Natalie Nakase has
praised all season long and everybody made an impact. Veronica Burton had 13
points and eight rebounds.
On Saturday, Nakase had changed up her lineup for a 67-62 Game 4 win by
inserting Tiffany Hayes and Kaila Charles into the starting five. She stayed
with those two Monday night, and it worked again. Hayes, who played 10 seasons
for Atlanta and came out of retirement two years ago, had 12 points --- and
Nakase has said she wants to win it all for the veteran guard.
Williams began 2 for 11 and missed all four of her three 3-point tries, but she
converted a three-point play with 9:08 remaining put the Valkyries ahead 49-42
and finished with nine points on 3-for-14 shooting and six rebounds.
Atlanta will now try to stave off elimination at home Thursday in Game 6 and
force a deciding Game 7 back here at Chase Center on Saturday. The Dream hurt
themselves with 17 turnovers that led to 21 points for Golden State.
Stokes hit a key 3-pointer with 2:46 to go in the third quarter and another
with 7:21 left in the game, which ignited chants of "Ki-ah! Ki-ah!" from the
crazed, rally-towel waving "Ballhalla" home crowd at Chase Center.
Stokes has recorded three or more blocks in six straight games, tying her with
Lisa Leslie in 2003 for the longest such streak in a single WNBA postseason.
The Valkyries used a dominant second half after they led 25-22 at the break,
the lowest scoring first half combined score in WNBA Finals history.
Rhyne Howard's three-point play with 4:59 left in the third pulled Atlanta
within 34-31, but after that it was Stokes, Burton and the Valkyries coming up
with all the crucial plays on both ends.
Golden State owner Joe Lacob promised a championship within five years in a
bold declaration when the expansion franchise was granted to the Bay Area three
years ago, yet this season has exceeded even what he could have envisioned.
Neither team could find a flow from 3-point range in the first half as the
teams combined to shoot 5 for 29 from deep --- 3 of 16 by Golden State and 2
for 13 by Atlanta.
Earlier Monday, the league announced Game 6 would be played at 17,000-seat
State Farm Arena in Atlanta starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday --- a time
when many fans on both coasts will be working.
"I'd like to see it be a national holiday for all WNBA championship games so
whatever somebody can do," Dream coach Karl Smesko said. "I hope everybody gets
to see it somehow and I know that for some people it's not realistic, they have
jobs and won't be able to make it. So I'm disappointed for that but I'm really
hopeful that as many people can see the game as possible."
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