Stokes, Valkyries climb one win from WNBA title

SAN FRANCISCO – Kiah Stokes and the Golden State Valkyries are only one victory away from claiming the WNBA title in just their second year in the league.

Stokes, a Linn-Mar grad, sparkled with 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots Monday as the Valkyries defeated the Atlanta Dream, 64-55, to take a 3-2 lead in the seven-game championship series.

Stokes, a 6-foot-3 center, showed rare form on 3-point shots by sinking 3-of-4 from behind the arc. She made 5 of 6 shots overall, shared team scoring honors and extended her own WNBA record by blocking at least three shots in five straight games in the finals.

Stokes played 35 of 40 minutes in the low-scoring game and excelled again on defense.

The sixth game of the championship series is set for Thursday at 11:30 a.m. (Iowa time) in Atlanta.