Kiah Irene Stokes is a professional basketball player renowned as a center for the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA and Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Super League.
She grew up in Marion, Iowa, where she starred at Linn-Mar High School before excelling at the University of Connecticut (UConn).
Drafted 11th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2015 WNBA Draft, she has since become a two-time WNBA champion and a defensive stalwart.
Off the court, Stokes is a trailblazer, hosting “Hangtime,” the first podcast by a WNBA player, on the Underdog Sports Podcast Network.
Siblings
Kiah has one sibling, an older brother named Darius Stokes. Raised together in Iowa, Darius shares the family’s basketball DNA.
He played college basketball at the University of Iowa for four years, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Human Physiology in 2014.
For his final year of eligibility, he transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he started 28 games during the 2014-15 season.
A memorable moment for the Stokes family came in 2014 when both Kiah and Darius played on the same Saturday night—Kiah with UConn and Darius with FDU.
After Kiah’s game, she joined her parents in the stands to cheer on her brother, a testament to their close-knit relationship.
Now an assistant coach at Elon University, Darius has transitioned from player to mentor, continuing the family’s basketball legacy while Kiah shines in the pros.
Career
Stokes’ basketball journey is a story of grit and glory.
At Linn-Mar High School, she averaged 25.0 points, 14.8 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per game as a senior, earning McDonald’s All-American honors.
Also Read: Diamond DeShields Siblings: A Closer Look at the WNBA Player’s Family
At UConn from 2011 to 2015, she was a key contributor to three consecutive NCAA championships (2013-2015), leveraging her rebounding and shot-blocking skills.
Entering the WNBA with the New York Liberty in 2015, Stokes made an immediate impact, earning All-Rookie and All-Defensive Second Team honors.
After six seasons with the Liberty, she joined the Las Vegas Aces in 2021, where her defensive presence helped secure back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023.
Stokes has also thrived overseas, playing in Korea and Turkey, where she’s a four-time Turkish Super League champion and two-time EuroLeague winner.
Accolades
Stokes’ trophy case reflects her dominance and versatility.
In high school, she was a two-time Gatorade Iowa Player of the Year (2010, 2011) and a WBCA All-American.
At UConn, she earned the 2014-15 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year award and helped secure three NCAA titles.
In the WNBA, Stokes boasts two championships (2022, 2023), a 2015 All-Rookie Team nod, and a 2015 All-Defensive Second Team selection.
Her international resume is equally impressive: four Turkish Super League titles (2019, 2021-2023), two EuroLeague championships (2023, 2024), and two Turkish Cup wins (2019, 2020).
She also won gold with the 2009 USA Basketball U16 National Team and a bronze at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in 3×3 competition.
In 2024, she was inducted into the Linn-Mar Athletics Hall of Fame, cementing her legacy in her hometown.
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