Golden State Valkyries center Kiah Stokes has saved her best performances for the WNBA Finals, and she could soon be rewarded with the Finals MVP award. The Valkyries picked up a crucial 64-55 win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 5 on Monday. Stokes was a major reason behind Golden State’s victory, putting together a dominant performance.

She led the team in scoring along with Veronica Burton, tallying 13 points and eight rebounds each, putting the Valkyries just one win shy of capturing the ultimate prize in professional basketball.

Fans broke out into “MVP” chants after the contest, letting Stokes know that her heroic efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. WNBA podcaster and reporter Seerat Sohi highlighted this surge on her podcast, noting that the award is essentially hers to lose.

“Kiah Stokes is on the verge of being the most unlikely Finals MVP ever,” Sohi said on The Ringer’s WNBA Show on Tuesday. “Two days ago, sportsbooks didn’t even have her listed. And now what felt impossible just feels inevitable. One game away from being inevitable.”

Stokes wasn’t even on the periphery of the MVP race before the finals began, but now she stands as a top contender. All it took was two massive outings in Games 4 and 5 to rocket her up the list and into serious contention for the award. In Game 4, where the Valkyries held the Dream to a season-low 62 points, Stokes was all over the floor. She grabbed 16 rebounds and broke the all-time record for the most blocks in a WNBA Finals series, while also locking down Angel Reese to 2-of-10 shooting. In Game 5, she proved she could shoot just as well as she defends, going 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep.

Of course, this role is not entirely new to Stokes, who played a vital role in two of her three championship runs with the Aces. However, she was not expected to be a starter when she joined Golden State this offseason. With starting center Iliana Rupert sidelined due to pregnancy, Stokes stepped into the role and made the most of her opportunity. And now, she is on the verge of winning another WNBA championship and potentially earning Finals MVP honors as the Valkyries look to finish their remarkable postseason run.

Kiah Stokes outplayed Angel Reese in crucial Games 4 and 5

When the finals began, Angel Reese and Gabby Williams were the frontrunners to win the Finals MVP award. After Atlanta took a 2-1 lead behind Reese’s dominant outings, the reigning DPOY was in firm contention, but Stokes not only shut Reese down to a historically low offensive output, she also forced her way into the award conversation.

Reese averaged 21.7 points and 13.3 rebounds on 22-of-39 shooting through the first three games. However, she has struggled to replicate that pace over the last two contests, averaging just 7.5 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 4-of-20.

While the race could still change if Reese delivers a massive performance in Game 6 or 7, should the series go the distance, Stokes is currently in the driver seat. She and the Valkyries could hoist their first championship trophy on the road with a win over Atlanta at State Farm Arena in Game 6. Tipoff for the potential title-clinching game is set for 12:30 p.m. ET.

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