Kiah Stokes is first and foremost a defender. But on Monday night, the anchor of the Golden State Valkyries' front court became their most important scorer.
Stokes, who averaged 3.6 points per game in the regular season, had 13 points in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals as she lifted the Valkyries to a 64-55 win over the Atlanta Dream and a 3-2 series lead.
Veronica Burton added 13 points and eight rebounds while Cecilia Zandalasini had 12 points as the Valkyries delivered another low-scoring victory. The Dream’s 55 points were a season low.
Golden State found a way to shut down Angel Reese for the second game of the series, holding her to just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting. The Dream need Reese to keep scoring in this series, as she broke the 20-point mark in both their wins.
Struggles on offence from both sides made Game 5 reminiscent of Game 1. Scoring was at an all-time low in the first half and the three-ball — which had been an important tool for both teams throughout the regular season — did not fall. The Valkyries hit 6-of-24 from three while the Dream were 6-for-26.
Turnovers in the fourth quarter helped Golden State seal the win. Across the game, Atlanta had 17 turnovers and conceded 21 points as a result. The Valkyries had nine turnovers, which resulted in only six points.
Before we get to a funky afternoon Game 6 that could decide the 2026 championship, let’s take a look at some takeaways from a pivotal Game 5 in the WNBA Finals.
Powered by Stokes
Stokes contributed to the Valkyries' offence in an uncharacteristic way on Monday as her 13 points mark the most she has scored in any single game this year.
In Game 4, Stokes was a necessary response to Reese on defence. On Monday, she maintained that impact with three blocks and eight rebounds as she battled the star for boards, but found another way to improve her contributions too.
On her way to leading the Valkyries in scoring, Stokes dropped three three-pointers. The centre is not known for her range shooting, as she made three or fewer threes in six of her 11 WNBA seasons.
It's no surprise Stokes was met with MVP chants from an enthusiastic sold-out "Ballhalla" crowd during her post-game interview.
Exhaustion setting in
Partway through the second quarter, the broadcast caught Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase directing her bench during a timeout.
“I just called a timeout so you could catch your breath,” she told the Valkyries as they grabbed water on the side.
Both teams showed signs of exhaustion as scoring struggled even in the opening minutes. It took almost the entire first quarter for either team to score a three-pointer and overall accuracy was down. The first half, which ended 25-22, will go down as the lowest-scoring WNBA Finals half ever played.
The 2026 Finals will require at least six games, making it the longest final round in WNBA history. That means tools for recovery will only increase in importance from here.
The Dream looked to their bench for help as the starters began to show signs of exhaustion. Both Te-Hina Paopao and Madina Okot received minutes that have usually been reserved for starters. Paopao has only played in one other Finals game after not seeing the floor in Games 1, 2 or 4.
Tired players have also meant an increase in physicality. Both Tiffany Hayes, who was crushed between two Dream players, and Allisha Gray, who collided with Valkyries' bodies under the net, went down after hard fouls caused by delayed defenders trying to catch up to their marks. Both players did not miss time as a result of those hard falls, but were rewarded with a trip to the line.
Stadium switch-up
One of the biggest storylines from this Finals run has nothing to do with what’s happening on the court. Instead of focusing on Reese’s rebounding or Williams’ leadership on the floor, most of the talk has surrounded the schedule and game locations.
On Monday, the league announced Game 6 will be played at 12:30 p.m. ET at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. It was originally scheduled to be played at 8 p.m. ET at Gateway Center Arena, the Dream’s usual venue, which has a capacity of 3,500.
The timing is less than ideal, especially with a championship on the line. This decisive Game 6 will have to go well with breakfast for Valkyries fans on the West Coast, while Atlanta fans will be hoping for an extended lunch break to watch on Thursday.
The scheduling difficulty is due to conflicts with the NBA’s Hawks, who are the primary tenants at State Farm Arena. The Hawks also play on Thursday and pushed back the start time to 8 p.m. ET to accommodate the WNBA.
Similar conflicts impacted Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta but the NBA and WNBA found ways to resolve those in advance. That wasn't the same for Game 6, with the decision only coming three days before tip-off.
As the WNBA continues to grow in viewership and demand increases for tickets, the league will need to improve its logistical planning to match. Even with the change, the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena is already sold out.
Game 7 will be played on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT in Golden State, if necessary.
