Kiah Stokes

Kiah Stokes

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No. 41 – New York Liberty
Position	Center
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	(1993-03-30) March 30, 1993 Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	Linn-Mar (Marion, Iowa)
College	Connecticut (2011–2015)
WNBA draft	2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11th overall
Selected by the New York Liberty
Playing career	2015–present
Career history
2015–present	New York Liberty
Career highlights and awards
WNBA All-Rookie Team (2015) WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2015) 3x NCAA champion (2013–2015) AAC Defensive Player of the Year (2015) AAC (2014) Big East All-Rookie Team (2012)

Kiah Stokes (born March 30, 1993) is an American basketball player chosen by the New York Liberty with the No.11 pick in the first round of the 2015 WNBA Draft at Mohegan Sun Arena. She played four years at the University of Connecticut where she was part of four consecutive Final Four teams and won three straight national championships [2013-15]. Prior to enrolling at UConn she played for Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa. She played on the USA Basketball U16 National Team, where she helped the team win the FIBA Americas U16 Championship Gold Medal. She is the daughter of former NBA player Greg Stokes.

Early life

Stokes is the daughter of Greg Stokes and Julie Saddler and has one brother, Darius. Her father was an all-american basketball player at the University of Iowa, played for the Philadelphia 76ers and won gold with the 1983 USA Pan American Games Team. When Stokes was only four years old, her father signed her up for a YMCA track team which was designed for five and six-year-olds. Despite being a year or two younger than everyone else she competed in the 60 yard dash and beat everyone by 20 yards. That's when he knew she might be a special type of athlete.

High School

Stokes attended Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa. Stokes was a three year starter at Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa, where she has started in 52 of 76 games played. In her freshman year in 2007-08, started in one of 25 games played and averaged 7.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 blocks to help Linn-Mar to a 22-3 record. She shot 60.0 percent from the field and 56.5 percent from the free throw line. As a sophomore, she had two triple doubles, and averaged 15.7 ppg., 12.5 rpg. and 6.7 bpg. to help Linn-Mar to a 24-1 record the 4A state semifinals. Stokes holds state sophomore and school record with 160 blocks in 2008-09. During her junior year, she averaged 19.9 ppg., 13.5 rpg. and 5.8 bpg. to help Linn-Mar to a 26-0 record and Iowa 4A state title. As a senior, Stokes averaged 25.0 points, 14.8 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game in her final year at Linn-Mar High School. She was named the Iowa's 2010 Gatorade State Player of the year and honored as a 2011 McDonald's, Parade Magazine, WBCA All-American. She compiled 1,079 points, 867 rebounds and 515 career blocks which is the Iowa high school record for career blocked shots. In addition to basketball, she also participated in volleyball finished third at nationals in 2008. =

USA Basketball

2009 U16 Mexico City

Stokes was selected to be a member of the first ever U16 team for USA Basketball. The team competed in the First FIBA Americas U16 Championship For Women held in Mexico City, Mexico in August 2009. Stokes averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. She helped the team to a 5–0 record and the Gold medal at the competition. The win secured an automatic bid to the 2010 FIBA U17 World Championship.

University of Connecticut career

Freshmen Year

Stokes ended her freshman campaign averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in her 13.4 minutes per game. Stokes was second on the team in blocks as she averaged 1.4 denials per game. She led the Huskies in blocks in 13 of 38 contests. Stokes shot 60 percent from the field and 65.3 percent from the free throw line.She was named to the All-BIG EAST Rookie Team along with teammate Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis.

Sophomore Year

File:Kiah Stokes tipoff St. Johns 2013 cropped.jpg

Kiah Stokes, in her first career start, soars to secure the tip-off in the game against St. Johns 2013

As a sophomore in 2012-13, aided Connecticut to a 35-4 record and the 2013 NCAA National Championship. Stokes saw time in 32 games, averaging 2.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per contest. She was third on the team with 39 blocks, and as an efficient 35-53 from the field (.660) and dished-out 21 assists against 20 turnovers. Stokes recorded double-digit minutes in 17 games.

Junior Year

Stokes helped lead her team to an undefeated 40-0 season and the 2014 National Championship. Stokes started two of 39 games and averaged 4.5 points and was third on the squad at 7.1 rebounds in only 18.5 minutes per contest. She recorded four double-doubles, after posting just one in her first two years, with double-digit rebounds on eight occasions. She had seven or more rebounds 21 times during the season..

University of Connecticut statistics

Kiah Stokes Statistics at University of Connecticut
Year	G	FG	FGA	PCT	3FG	3FGA	PCT	FT	FTA	PCT	REB	AVG	A	TO	B	S	MIN	PTS	AVG
2011–12	36	65	108	.602	0	0	.000	32	49	.653	163	4.5	17	27	50	18	483	162	4.5
2012–13	32	35	53	.660	0	0	.000	18	30	.600	113	3.5	21	20	39	4	342	88	2.8
2013–14	39	69	115	.600	0	0	.000	37	53	.698	278	7.1	34	36	89	13	723	175	4.5
2014–15	39	73	128	.570	1	2	.500	30	40	.750	265	6.8	33	31	147	19	715	177	4.5
Totals	146	242	404	.599	1	2	.500	117	172	.680	819	5.6	105	114	325	54	2263	602	4.1

Awards and Honors

• Named to the 2009 Iowa Newspaper Association and Des Moines Register 4A All-State first team in 2009 and 2010.
• Selected to the 2009 all-state tournament team.
• Named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association 2009 4A
• All-State first team.
• Honored as an all-metro first team selection in 2009.
• 2010—Parade Magazine All-America fourth team honors.
• 2010—Gatorade State Player of the Year.
• 2010—ESPN Rise.com All-America second team.
• Tabbed 2010 All-Mississippi Valley Conference first team in 2009 and 2010 and all-conference second team in 2008.
• 2015—First Team Senior CLASS Award All-American
• 2015—WNBA All-Rookie Team
• 2015—WNBA All-Defensive Second Team

References

New York Liberty roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Height Weight DOB From Yrs G 22 Alston, Ameryst 5' 9" (1.75m) 178 lb (81kg) 07-15-1993 Ohio State R G 15 Boyd, Brittany 5' 9" (1.75m) 156 lb (71kg) 06-11-1993 California 1 F 2 Bulgak, Adut 6' 4" (1.93m) 156 lb (71kg) 12-20-1992 Florida State R F/C 31 Charles, Tina 6' 4" (1.93m) 186 lb (84kg) 12-05-1988 Connecticut 6 G 12 Harding, Lindsey 5' 8" (1.73m) 139 lb (63kg) 06-12-1984 Duke 8 G 10 Prince, Epiphanny  5' 9" (1.75m) 179 lb (81kg) 01-11-1988 Rutgers 6 G 14 Rodgers, Sugar 5' 9" (1.75m) 166 lb (75kg) 12-08-1989 Georgetown 3 G 5 Schimmel, Shoni 5' 9" (1.75m) 161 lb (73kg) 05-04-1992 Louisville 2 C 41 Stokes, Kiah 6' 3" (1.91m) 191 lb (87kg) 03-30-1993 Connecticut 1 C 8 Swords, Carolyn 6' 6" (1.98m) 209 lb (95kg) 07-19-1989 Boston College 4 G 30 Wright, Tanisha 5' 11" (1.8m) 165 lb (75kg) 11-29-1983 Penn State 11 C 17 Zahui B., Amanda 6' 5" (1.96m) 250 lb (113kg) 09-08-1993 Minnesota 1 G 1 Zellous, Shavonte 5' 10" (1.78m) 188 lb (85kg) 08-28-1986 Pittsburgh 7 East: ATL • CHI • CON • IND • NY • WAS | West: DAL • LA • MIN • PHO • SA • SEA	Head coach Bill Laimbeer (Notre Dame) Assistant coaches Katie Smith (Ohio State) Herb Williams (Ohio State) Athletic trainer Rosemary Ragle (Troy) Strength and conditioning coach Kevin Duffy (Ohio) Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured WNBA roster page