Aces rue $760,000 mistake as Kiah Stokes closes in on WNBA Finals MVP originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
What's more difficult to understand: Kiah Stokes missing out on first-team All-Defense honors, or the fact that the Las Vegas Aces let her walk over $760,000?
After Stokes dominated Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, take your pick.
Stokes' case for an unlikely Finals MVP only grew Monday, after her 13-point, eight-rebound, three-block performance helped the Golden State Valkyries to a 64-55 win over the Atlanta Dream at Chase Center.
MORE: Kiah Stokes is shutting down Angel Reese and changing the WNBA Finals
In a gritty, low-scoring game, Stokes' contributions were invaluable as the Valkyries took a 3-2 series lead. After the Dream put up 97 points in a Game 3 victory, the Valkyries locked in: Atlanta has scored just 117 points in the past two games, both losses, while shooting 31 percent from the floor.
For the series, the Dream is shooting 19 percent when Stokes is the closest defender, and she has been particularly impactful in slowing down Angel Reese, who had been brilliant in Games 2 and 3.
KEEP IT AWAY FROM KIAH!! Kiah Stokes has been the anchor on defense for the Valkyries, as the Dream are shooting just 9-48 (0-8 3-pt FG) when contested by Stokes in the WNBA Finals 💪 https://t.co/nvriWuerWe
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) October 27, 2026
But Stokes added some unexpected offensive punch with her corner threes. The three-time WNBA champions shot 3-of-4 from downtown in Game 5; those nine points represented Golden State's margin of victory.
Taken as a whole, Stokes' performance in the Finals makes the Aces' decision not to retain her look even worse.
The Aces chose to keep Brianna Turner and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus in their frontcourt for 2026 as Stokes hit free agency. She opted to reunite with former Aces assistant Natalie Nakase in San Francisco. Stokes signed a two-year, $761,250 contract with an average annual salary of around $380,000 -- which looks awfully cheap now as the Valkyries zero in on their first WNBA title.
Kiah Stokes was unstoppable in the @valkyries' Game 5 dub 😤 She was a menace on both ends of the floor recording 13 PTS, 8 REB, 3 BLKS & 3 3PM on 5-6 shooting. Kiah has recorded 3+ blocks in six consecutive playoff games, tying Lisa Leslie for the longest such streak in WNBA postseason history! #WNBASeason30 | #2026WNBAFinals
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 27, 2026