Kiah Stokes passes Brittney Griner with a WNBA Finals record
· Yahoo Sports
Kiah Stokes passes Brittney Griner with a WNBA Finals record originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Kiah Stokes made history while helping the Golden State Valkyries put the WNBA Finals back on level ground. In Game 4 against the Atlanta Dream, Stokes collected 16 rebounds and blocked three shots as Golden State earned a 67-62 road victory.
Visit esporist.com for more information.
Those blocks pushed Stokes to 14 for the series, giving her the most in a single WNBA Finals. She moved past Brittney Griner and Sylvia Fowles, who had each recorded 12. Stokes also became the first player in Finals history to register at least three blocks in four consecutive games.
It was the kind of performance that does not need a high-scoring line to dominate the conversation. The game was tight, the total was low, and every possession around the basket mattered. Stokes gave Golden State a major presence near the rim while also controlling the glass.
The record has history behind it
Griner set the previous mark in the 2014 Finals, recording 12 blocks in only two games before an injury kept her out of Game 3. Fowles matched that total in 2017. Stokes now stands alone at the top of the list after four straight games of disrupting shots.
Kiah Stokes in first four games of the Finals: 11.3 RPG 3.5 BPG Set the WNBA record for most total blocks in a Finals series with 14. https://t.co/eHTZHA0mxK
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) October 24, 2026
A block is the most visible part of rim protection, but the larger impact often comes before the shot. A defender who is waiting near the basket can force a player to hesitate, alter a layup or pass the ball away. That pressure can reshape an entire possession without showing up in the box score.
Stokes’ presence has given the Valkyries a defensive foundation as they try to win the franchise’s first championship. Golden State had fallen behind in the series after Game 3, then responded with a road win to tie it at 2-2 and reclaim momentum.
MORE: Dream's Angel Reese made WNBA Finals history despite Game 1 loss
A record and a series still to win
The Finals record belongs to Stokes regardless of what happens next, but the series gives her a chance to extend it. Game 5 presents another opportunity for Golden State to take the lead, while Atlanta will need to find ways to attack without allowing Stokes to control the paint.
The achievement also spotlights a player whose impact can be overlooked when championship coverage gravitates toward scoring stars. Stokes’ 14 blocks reflect timing, discipline and consistency across four high-pressure games.
Golden State is now even with Atlanta, and Stokes has helped make defense the Valkyries’ most compelling story. If she continues to protect the rim at this level, the record could keep growing right alongside the team’s championship hopes.