LAS VEGAS, Nevada (Feb. 1, 2024)—Las Vegas Aces general manager Natalie Williams announced today that the team has re-signed 6-3 center Kiah Stokes, who was a key part of the Aces back-to-back championship runs.
“We are so happy to re-sign our two-time WNBA champion center, Kiah Stokes,” said Williams. “She is a consummate professional, a rim protector and our secret 3-point shooter. Kiah is family, and we are blessed to have her back for two more years.”
“I’m really excited to be coming back to Vegas,” said Stokes, who has averaged 2.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 86 games over the past two and a half seasons with the Aces. “It feels like I’ve found a home here and I like what we’re building. Let’s go Aces!”
Stokes has been with the Aces since July 2, 2021, after being waived by the New York Liberty. After spending much of 2022 coming off the bench, Stokes was inserted into the starting line-up for all 10 of the Aces playoff games, and posted 3.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in aiding the team to its first championship.
Playing a back-up role over the first 18 games of 2023, Stokes closed the year as a member of the starting lineup following Candace Parker’s season-ending injury in July. She was instrumental in the Aces continued dominance as they finished the year with a WNBA-record 34 victories.
Stokes grabbed back-to-back double-digit rebounds in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against Chicago and averaged 2.8 points and 7.9 rebounds through eight postseason games.
Stokes has been one of the most prolific rebounders in the league since New York selected the three-time national champion out of UConn with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft. Among players who have logged at least 4,000 minutes since that time, Stokes ranks 4th in rebound percentage (16.4), 7th in defensive rebound percentage (23.6), and 6th in offensive rebound percentage (9.0).
Her career field goal percentage of 50.7 percent is the 15th highest in the league since 2015 among players with at least 300 made field goals.