Kiah Stokes Breaks Silence On Angel Reese's 'Talking S***' As Valkyries Star Hits Back At Critics

Kiah Stokes shares her take on Angel Reese’s WNBA Finals trash talk.© NDTV GALLERY

Kiah Stokes is not taking Angel Reese's trash talk personally. The Golden State Valkyries center, a four-time WNBA champion, said fans made too much of the back-and-forth during the Finals against the Atlanta Dream. Speaking on Unsupervised, Stokes said Reese was simply competing, and Golden State rookie Aminata Gueye had given as good as she got. The Valkyries won the championship in seven games and brought the jokes back at their San Francisco parade. For the players, the exchanges were part of the game, not a personal feud.

Kiah Stokes Says Angel Reese's Trash Talk Was Part Of The Game

“I appreciate that we have a lot of fans. But sometimes I feel like y'all are taking things way too personal,” Stokes said.

“This has literally nothing to do with you, and you're making a whole think piece about it. 'Cause I know for us, Angel wanna talk s***, it is what it is. Like, it's a game, and she was cooking. Like, nobody is going to fault her for that… I think it's just fun. I don't take anything personal..and our rookie was also talking s*** back. I'm like, ‘Who doesn't love this,' right? So I think, yeah, I think the fans are doing way too much,” Stokes added.

Reese scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Atlanta's 79-65 Game 2 win. She was heard telling the Valkyries, “You can't guard me!” After the Dream won Game 3, 97-71, Reese called toward the bench, “You bum!” and made the “too small” gesture. Before Game 4, she said she could “take their confidence and just try to do whatever to mess them up.”

Golden State Valkyries Turn Angel Reese's Taunt Into Parade Joke

In Game 6, Reese told the bench, “Sit down, you're on the bench.” Atlanta won 80-69 to force a deciding game, but Golden State took Game 7, 68-63, behind Gabby Williams' 30 points. Reese scored eight points with 12 rebounds in the finale.

After the win, Aminata Gueye posted Reese's “too small” gesture, and Tiffany Hayes repeated it on Instagram Live. At the November 4 parade, staff and former Warriors player Festus Ezeli wore shirts showing Reese's gesture alongside the Crying Jordan meme. Fans also shared photos of pink pacifiers tagged “if found return to: ATL.”

Stokes also joined the teasing, wearing a shirt based on ESPN's title-odds graphic, which had left Golden State outside its top five. She said players can joke without treating it as a personal fight.