Kiah Stokes has been the defensive backbone of the Las Vegas Aces, a competitor whose grit has fueled three national championships at UConn and nearly a decade in the WNBA. “I love the game. I’m competitive. The teams that I’ve been on have been amazing all throughout my career,” she told the Chicago City Times back in May. But the truth is, none of it came easy. Stokes credits her resilience to her parents, especially her father, former NBA player Greg Stokes—and as we dive deeper into her story, it’s clear how that foundation shaped the empire she’s built today.

Who are Kiah Stokes’ parents?

Born to Greg Stokes and Julie Saddler, Kiah truly had basketball in her blood. Her father, Greg, was a standout All-American at the University of Iowa and famously formed the “Twin Towers” frontcourt alongside Michael Payne in the 1980s. Standing 6’10”, he went on to be selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 33rd overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and later struck gold as part of the 1983 USA Pan American Games team. His career carved out a path that gave Kiah both a blueprint and a legacy to build upon.

Growing up in such an athletic household came with its share of advantages, but for Kiah, the real gift was learning from her father’s stories and experiences. At the same time, her mother, Julie Saddler, provided the balance of unwavering support. Though she has kept a lower profile publicly, Kiah has often credited her mom’s encouragement as just as vital as her dad’s lessons. Together, they created the foundation that fueled Kiah’s rise.

Who are Kiah Stokes’ siblings?

Kiah’s brother, Darius Stokes, has always shared the family’s deep-rooted passion for basketball. Like their father, he suited up for the University of Iowa, appearing in 38 games across four seasons before graduating in 2014 with a degree in health and human physiology. Determined to extend his playing career, he transferred to Fairleigh Dickinson, where he started 28 games while simultaneously earning a master’s degree in sports management.

After college, Darius took his talents overseas, playing professionally for UER Pineda de Mar in Spain for a season. But soon, his love for the game steered him toward the sidelines. He returned to Fairleigh Dickinson, this time as part of the men’s basketball coaching staff under head coach Greg Herenda, and later joined the staff at Elon University, where he now serves under Billy Taylor. His steady climb in the coaching world reflects the same discipline and dedication that define the Stokes family.

What makes Darius stand out, however, is not just his basketball résumé but the support he’s always shown his sister. Despite walking in their father’s footsteps, he never pressured Kiah to do the same. “Although my sister and I are close, she’s going to make that decision on her own,” he told the Gazette back in 2010. He was right—while Darius walked on at Iowa, Kiah forged her own path at UConn, becoming a three-time national champion and one of the WNBA’s most respected defensive anchors, which now reflects in her paycheck too.

What is the ethnicity and nationality of her parents?

Both of Kiah’s parents, Greg Stokes and Julie Saddler, are American. Her father was born in New Haven, Connecticut, while little is publicly known about her mother’s background. Naturally, that makes Kiah American by nationality as well. However, details about her parents’ ethnicity have not been documented.

If there’s one “religion” the Stokes family follows without question, it’s sports. From the start, both children were encouraged to find their own path in athletics—yet it was no surprise that they eventually followed in Greg Stokes’ footsteps and chose basketball. Their journeys, however, couldn’t have been more different. And through it all, one constant remained: the unwavering support of their parents.

Kiah Stokes’ Sporting Family Background

Being the daughter of a talented player in his own right certainly came with its advantages. “My dad is my biggest supporter, he’s my number one fan,” Kiah once shared. “Him and my mom are my top two supporters since I was born, always in my corner.” But the influence went beyond just support.

Kiah grew up surrounded by her father’s stories—tales of his 42-game NBA career, his stints with the Philadelphia 76ers and Sacramento Kings, and even his high school glory days at Hamilton High in 1980–81, when he helped lead the team to a stunning 25–1 record. “She’s heard all those stories and stuff,” Greg admitted in a 2022 interview with the Inquirer. “She’s probably sick of hearing them … that’s kind of part of growing up. You hear what your old man did. I’m telling her how to do things. Sometimes she listens, and sometimes she doesn’t.”

After all, Greg Stokes had once shared the court with legends like Charles Barkley and Julius “Dr. J” Erving during the 1985–86 season—plenty of inspiration for a young athlete to look up to. But was her foundation built only on her father’s experiences? Not quite. Her brother carved out his own path in the game, leaning toward coaching, while her mother’s steady presence anchored the family. Together, they formed the support system that allowed Kiah to chase greatness.

Kiah Stokes’ Relationship With Her Family

Kiah Stokes’ family has always been at the core of her success. Growing up in a household where sports were second nature, she learned early that support and stability mattered just as much as talent. “It’s pretty cool [having a daughter in the WNBA],” Greg Stokes added in the same interview with the Inquirer. “They’re winning, so it makes it doubly fun. She’s having a great time … as long as she’s happy, I’m good.” Of course, having a daughter with such an impressive resume is a proud feeling. Her achievements on the court—a two-time WNBA championship and a 2015 All-Defensive Team honor—are as much a reflection of her own drive as they are of the foundation her parents built for her.

Kiah has openly described herself as a “daddy’s girl,” crediting him as both her biggest fan and her earliest role model. “I guess I’ve always considered myself a daddy’s girl… So I kind of assumed I would just do what he does,” that connection carried into her playing days, as she proudly wore No. 41—the same number her father sported during his career. Greg, too, took pride in seeing his daughter carry on the legacy, calling it “a good number for her” in an interview with the Gazette. Their bond has been one of the constants in her journey, proof that basketball is as much about family as it is about competition.

But the influence didn’t stop with her father. Her mother, Julie Saddler, played an equally important part in her growth. Even after Julie and Greg divorced when Kiah and her brother Darius were young, both parents remained deeply involved. The kids split time equally between their parents, a balance that ensured they never lacked support. Julie, in particular, stood firm in giving Kiah the freedom to make her own choices, from picking basketball over volleyball to committing to UConn. “We didn’t want her to make a decision based on what we wanted,” Julie explained during Kiah’s recruitment.

That sense of independence became vital to Kiah’s growth, allowing her to carve out her own path while knowing her family always had her back. For Greg, seeing her succeed has been nothing short of a joy. For Kiah, that happiness has always come with an extra layer of comfort—knowing that whether it was her father cheering in the stands or her mother supporting quietly in the background, her family never stopped believing in her. And now for the 2025 season in the W, she’s once again here to fight for a championship title. And that’s how valuable the support of Kiah’s family has been in fueling her WNBA career.