Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese was named the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday.
Reese, 24, received 46 votes from a national panel of 74 sportswriters and broadcasters after setting league records for total rebounds (521) and double-doubles (32).
Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams finished second with 20 votes, followed by Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson with four votes.
Reese averaged a career-high 16.4 points and a league-high 12.1 rebounds in 43 games during her third season in the WNBA and first in Atlanta. The three-time All-Star finished third in the league in both steals per game (1.8) and total thefts (77) and set a career high with 32 blocked shots.
Behind Reese, Atlanta ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rating (103.5). Her rebounding helped the Dream allow a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.
Acquired from the Chicago Sky in a preseason trade on April 6, Reese is the first player in Dream history to win Defensive Player of the Year honors.
–Field Level Media
