UConn women getting quiet contribution from Kiah Stokes
JIM FULLER
STORRS -- At first glance, the numbers that Kiah Stokes put up in her first big game at UConn were not anything to write home about.
Stokes missed her only field goal attempt and both of her foul shots against Stanford on Monday night but there were some glimmers of her potential in a 14-minute outing against the Cardinal.
It took all of 10 seconds for Stokes to corral her first rebound after being summoned into the game against Stanford. The next time she was called upon, the 6-foot-3 freshman forward/center stole the ball just 1:25 after coming back in. She had two rebounds, two blocks and a steal in the Huskies' 68-58 victory. More than anything Stokes proved that she is ready to contribute even against a powerful frontcourt like Stanford's.
In the next three days there were be no Nneka Ogwumike or Chiney Ogwumike for Stokes to have to contend with as the Huskies host Fairleigh Dickinson, Buffalo and Dayton in the World Vision Classic at Gampel Pavilion. Those three games could provide an indication if Stokes is ready to be a consistent post option off the bench.
"Every day in practice Coach (Geno Auriemma) is saying that our post game really needs to step up," Stokes said. "I've been working hard and trying to do what the coaches ask me to do."
Moving forward it is likely that Stokes role will only continue to expand as she serves as Dolson's primary backup and could play alongside Dolson when the Huskies go away from their four-guard lineup.
Dolson has liked what she has seen from Stokes in the last couple of weeks.
"She has been talking a lot more," Dolson said.
"A big thing for her is talking and communicating with people on the court. She has also done a good job of finishing around the basket and being big. For some reason, for as big as she is with her shoulders, she likes to play kind of small so I think she needs to keep on working on getting low and wide."
Stokes averaged 8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 17½ minutes in the Huskies' two exhibition games.
With injuries keeping Caroline Doty and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis out of the second preseason game against Pace, Stokes earned the start and had a team-high 13 rebounds. In the second game of the regular season she contributed eight points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots in a win over Pacific.
Neither Stokes nor fellow freshman Brianna Banks have been as consistently aggressive in practice as the coaching staff would like but her coaches see plenty of potential in Stokes.
"Kiah's got a lot of natural ability," UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. "There are a lot skills that she has. We have to find a way to get Kiah to play at that intensity level that she can use those skills because she's got plenty of them."
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