After the Golden State Valkyries moved one game away from clinching their first title in franchise history, UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma fired off a text message to his four former players on the team.
"After they won, I said, 'Time to finish this off and you know how to do that as good, if not better than most people,'" Auriemma told USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday, Oct, 28, ahead of Game 6 of the WNBA Finals (12:30 p.m. ET) on Thursday. "These are the moments that we live for at UConn and we usually delivered."
That's not an understatement. Golden State's Gabby Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Kiah Stokes and Kaitlyn Chen each won national championships at UConn under Auriemma. The pack of Huskies has fueled the Valkyries' hunt to become
the fastest expansion team in WNBA history to win a title in only their second season of existence, a stark contrast from the storied history that Auriemma has shepherded at UConn for more than 42 seasons.
"It's déjà vu. Like Yogi Berra said, 'It’s like déjà vu all over again for me,'" Auriemma added with a laugh.
USA TODAY Sports caught up with Auriemma on Wednesday to talk about his former players in the WNBA Finals:
Geno Auriemma: Kiah Stokes rightfully in Finals MVP conversation
The 2026-27 NCAA women's basketball season is set to tip off on Sunday, Oct. 31, but Auriemma has made time to watch the 2026 WNBA Finals series between the Valkyries and Atlanta Dream. (He's not the only one. TV ratings show this is one of the most-viewed championship series in WNBA history.)
Monday was no different. Auriemma said he looked on in awe as Stokes led the Valkyries to a 64-55 Game 5 win with a playoff-high 13 points (three made 3-pointers), eight rebounds and three blocks. Stokes' dominant performance ended with the rowdy crowd at "Ballhalla" serenading the veteran with "MVP" chants.
"The other night when I was watching, I said, 'Whoa. What's gotten into (Stokes)?,'" Auriemma said. "All of a sudden there's another side of her that came out. And I mean, if you put those two things together, wow."
Auriemma admitted Stokes "drove me crazy" in Storrs, Connecticut, because he "wanted her to be more assertive on the offensive end" throughout her collegiate career. Stokes averaged only 2.8 field goal attempts per game across four seasons at UConn, but she made her mark with her rebounding abilities and rim protection.
Sound familiar?
"Watching her knock down a couple threes, watching her feel confident enough to do that in the biggest moments of her life, that to me is how much she's grown. How much she's evolved as a player," Auriemma said. "The confidence that she has now that maybe she didn't have when she first got into the league."
Auriemma "certainly would agree" that Stokes has played her way into the Finals MVP conversation with a blue-collar brand of basketball that prioritizes dirty work and hustle plays over individual accolades and flashy highlights. But on Monday in Game 5, Stokes was doing a lot of both to help Golden State take a 3-2 series lead.
"I think Gabby (Williams) burst onto the playoff scene like a rocket," Auriemma added. "(Williams) just was incredible down the stretch the last couple games, regular season, and then the playoffs. But maybe because Kiah (Stokes) had to guard two of the premier players in the league, whether it was A'ja (Wilson), Angel (Reese), whoever it may be. And the impact that that's had on winning those games can't be underestimated."
Stokes helped the Huskies win three consecutive national championships from 2013 to 2015, including an undefeated 40–0 season in 2014. A specific game from 2014 popped into Auriemma's mind, one where Stokes pulled down 18 rebounds in UConn's rout of Notre Dame.
"We would not have won that game (without her)," Auriemma said. "I get it that it's not sexy. Defensive players don't generally get the oohs and ahh from people who put up a lot of points ... But I do think that when you have that significant a drop in your (opponents') shooting percentage and points that (they) score because someone's guarding you, that says something. That's a statement that's as big, if not bigger than any other statement."
Well, Stokes' heroics are finally getting the attention they deserve. Stokes has recorded six straight playoffs games with three or more blocks, tying Lisa Leslie (2003) for the longest streak in a single postseason in WNBA history. The Dream are also shooting just 19% (9-of-48) when Stokes is the primary defender or contesting the shot.
"If you were going to recruit the perfect player and the perfect person, then you would recruit Kiah Stokes. So there's not a nicer kid that's ever played here and more mature," Auriemma said. "Kiah hasn't changed since her senior year in high school when she left Iowa to come to UConn, and when she left UConn to go to the pros."
Geno Auriemma calls early tipoff 'unfortunate'
Like he's done every game before, Auriemma will be watching Game 6 of the WNBA Finals, regardless of the 12:30 p.m. ET tipoff that's sparked backlash from those who argue a potential series-clincher shouldn't be taking place midday on a weekday. The WNBA moved the game time from a primetime window to the early afternoon to accommodate a venue change to the 17,000-seat State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
"It's unfortunate that it's come to this," Auriemma told USA TODAY Sports.
When asked to put his commissioner's hat on, the longtime head coach said playing on a different day would have been the obvious fix, although he's sure all parties involved exhausted all options to make that happen.
"It's not ideal for the players to play because it's unusual to play at that time. It's not ideal for the fans and for all the people that want to watch. And it's not ideal for the networks, it's not ideal for the WNBA because this is an incredible showcase and it's not going to be the optimum that it can be," he added. "I think when the game starts, the players, there's going to be a jump all and the players aren't going to know what time it is."
Win or lose on Thursday, Auriemma said his former players will hear from him. And whether it's a congratulatory message or some constructive criticism, Auriemma said he's "really proud" of the pack of Huskies on the Valkyries.
"Each and every one of them brings something different to the table," Auriemma said. "They've earned this, and I couldn't be happier for them."
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at @CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Geno Auriemma: Valkyries' Kiah Stokes in WNBA Finals MVP conversation
