Stokes played four years at the University of Connecticut where she was part of four consecutive Final Four teams and won three straight national championships, from 2013 to 2015.

Prior to enrolling at UConn she played for Linn-Mar High School in Marion, Iowa.

Her father was an all-American basketball player at the University of Iowa, played for the Philadelphia 76ers and won gold with the 1983 USA Pan American Games Team.

[2] According to her father, when she was four years old, he signed her up for a YMCA track team which was designed for five and six-year-olds.

[4] Stokes ended her freshman campaign averaging 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in her 13.4 minutes per game.

Stokes started two of 39 games and averaged 4.5 points and was third on the squad at 7.1 rebounds in only 18.5 minutes per contest.