UConn's incoming recruiting class added some much needed size when 6-foot-3 Kiah Stokes of Marion, Iowa committed to the Huskies at a press conference at Linn-Mar High on Thursday afternoon.

"For me where I fit in most,," said Stokes, who chose UConn over Georgia, Iowa, Maryland and Tennessee.

Stokes set an Iowa sophomore record with 160 blocked shots during the 2008-09 season. She owns Linn-Mar records with 218 rebounds in a season and single-game marks with 22 rebounds and 16 blocks. Stokes averaged 19.9 points, 13.5 rebounds and 5.8 blocks as a junior when she led Linn-Mar to a 26-0 record and the Iowa 4A title. She had two triple-doubles as a sophomore and enters her senior season with 1,079 points, 867 rebounds and 374 blocks.

Stokes was a member of the U.S. Under-16 national team in 2009 along with her future UConn teammate Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis when she averaged 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game as the U.S. won the gold medal at the 2009 FIBA Americas U-16 championship. While she did not make the U-17 team which won the 2010 FIBA U-17 World Championship, she was the leading scorer and rebound on the United States squad which won the bronze medal in the Youth Olympic Games 3-on-3 basketball event in August.

Stokes is the daughter of former Iowa men's basketball star Greg Stokes, who was born in New Haven but moved out to the midwest shortly after birth. His father and Kiah's grandfather still lives in New Haven.

UConn, which brought in 6-foot-5 Stefanie Dolson, 6-2 Michala Johnson and 6-1 Samarie Walker in an attempt to replace graduated post players Tina Charles and Kaili McLaren, is still very much in the running for highly-touted high school junior post prospect Breanna Stewart.

The Connecticut coaching staff has been dealing with circumstances out of their control in the pursuit of inside players in the last few years. Kelsey Bone, claiming members of the Connecticut media was badgering her, eliminated UConn from her list. She played at South Carolina as a freshman in the past season before transferring to Texas A&M. The Huskies brought in the 6-4 Elena Delle Donne and 6-5 Jessica McCormack transferred in from Washington but both left before playing a game at UConn. The Huskies made a strong push for 6-foot-3 Chiney Ogwumike last year before she opted to join her sister Nneka at Stanford. Geography considerations hurt the Huskies in their pursuit of Bonnie Samuelson, Ally Malott, Sara Hammond and Elizabeth Williams.

With the commitments of Mosqueda-Lewis, Brianna Banks and Stokes, UConn will have four available scholarships for next year.