WNBA Finals takeaways: Valkyries defend home-court with incredible defensive effort, move one win from first league title

The Valkyries led the league in defensive rating during the regular season, per Basketball Reference, and has ranked first in points allowed in each of their first two seasons as a WNBA franchise. That defense-philosophy paid off in a big way on Monday, putting the Dream on the brink of elimination.

Kiah Stokes building case as series MVP

If Golden State finishes the job, Stokes, a three-time WNBA champion in her 11th season, has an overwhelming case to be named series MVP.

She was the Valkyries' best player in Game 5, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, eight rebounds and three blocks in 35 minutes, the second-longest outing of her playoff career.

While rarely an offensive focal point — Stokes averaged 3.8 points in Games 1-4 — the longtime veteran has been a defensive force throughout the series, blocking at least three shots in each game and averaging 10.6 rebounds per game. In Game 4, she limited Dream forward Angel Reese to 2-of-10 shooting as her primary defender.

"We really rely on our defense," Stokes said on the court afterward. One of two major offseason additions alongside forward Gabby Williams, Stokes has been an integral part of Golden State's rise to the precipice of a league championship. If she's as big factor in a Game 6 win, Stokes deserves to be singled out as Finals MVP.

League's worst-case scenario could come to fruition

The WNBA controversially decided to move Game 6 to Thursday afternoon, meaning Golden State fans in the Bay Area will be tuning in for a 9:30 a.m. local time tip off as the Valkyries look to claim their first league championship.

If that's not unfortunate enough, ESPN NBA insider Ramon Shelburne noted on "NBA Today" that a potential trophy presentation could be moved to a practice court so crew can get ready for a night game between the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers.

To Golden State's credit, Stokes shot down any noise surrounding the scheduling snafu, adding during her post-game on-court interview, "It don't matter what time we play. All we need is two hoops, 94 feet and each other."