Stokes found a niche at UConn, and earned 3 titles

Kiah Stokes didn't reach superstar status at the University of Connecticut.

But she found a niche. That, and three national championships, were more than enough.

'I feel that I left a mark here,” Stokes said in a telephone conversation Thursday afternoon, less than 48 hours after Connecticut defeated Notre Dame, 63-53, for its third consecutive NCAA women's basketball tournament title.

'Obviously, I had my ups and downs. But you're going to have that in every program. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's something I'll take with me forever.”

A former all-American at Linn-Mar and the 2011 Gazette Female Athlete of the Year, Stokes will be remembered in Storrs as a defensive presence.

A 6-foot-4 backup post, she set the single-season UConn record with 147 blocks this season. She finished her career with 325 blocks, which ranks No. 3 all-time at the school.

She did that while averaging a modest 15.5 minutes per game throughout her career, which netted a 146-10 record to go with those three rings.

'I'm sure that there's a part of her, there's a part of us that, wow, it could have been unbelievable had we figured out a way to get even more minutes, more production,” UConn Coach Geno Auriemma said in a story published recently by ESPN.com.

Stokes said, 'If I wanted more minutes, I would have stayed closer to home.”

Her senior season, statistically, was her best. Stokes played in all 39 games (UConn was 38-1, winning its final 37 games after a loss at Stanford in November), averaging 4.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game.

She shot 57 percent from the floor. But her trademark was rebounding and defense.

'She's been a great defensive stopper for our team and done everything that she feels comfortable with and confident in better than anyone,” senior teammate Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis told ESPN.

'I definitely think that Kiah has endured a lot over her past four years. She's had to go through some of the worst from Coach, but she's been able to fight through it and play her game. Regardless of if she hasn't turned into this great scorer that everyone kind of tried to force out of her, she's played her role to the best of her ability.”

According to Stokes, Auriemma told her after the championship, 'I'm going to miss you more than I thought I would.”

The WNBA Draft is next Thursday, and several mock-drafters have Stokes getting picked, perhaps in the first round.

'I'd definitely love to play in the WNBA,” she said, adding that her preference would be to join the Chicago Sky because of its proximity with home. 'If not, I'll definitely play somewhere overseas.

'I know I'll have to pick up my scoring. But people say they see a lot of potential in me.”

Stokes will graduate May 10 with a degree in sports promotion.

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