Angel Reese Wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Anchoring Atlanta Dream’s Historic Playoff Run
The Atlanta center broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record while anchoring the third-ranked defense ahead of a semifinal matchup against the New York Liberty.
Atlanta center Angel Reese captured the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award Thursday, securing 46 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters to become the first player in franchise history to claim the honor.
The recognition arrives as the Dream advance deeper into the postseason than they have in eight years. After sweeping the Washington Mystics in the opening round, Atlanta is set to face the New York Liberty in the semifinals — the franchise’s first appearance at that stage since 2018.
Reese’s defensive dominance was quantified by advanced metrics that separated her from the rest of the league. Atlanta allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions when she played compared to when she rested, the second-best on-off defensive differential among all players who logged at least 500 minutes this season. She contested 507 field goal attempts, ranking 10th in the WNBA, while leading the league in opponent turnover percentage differential.
Her versatility forced opposing offenses into constant adjustments. Dream head coach Karl Smesko noted that Reese can guard any position on the floor, a trait that has become increasingly valuable as WNBA lineups grow more positionless. Unlike traditional rim-protecting centers who anchor the paint exclusively, Reese frequently switches onto perimeter players, disrupting pick-and-roll actions and closing out on shooters without sacrificing interior presence.
That defensive flexibility fueled a historic offensive rebounding campaign during her third professional season and first with Atlanta. Reese pulled down 500 rebounds, shattering the previous single-season WNBA record. She also set the league mark for most double-doubles in a season with 32 and grabbed 26 rebounds against the Los Angeles Sparks, the highest single-game total in WNBA history. Her 12.3 rebounds per game led the league, complementing a 16.4 scoring average that made her one of only two players to average a double-double for the regular season.
The individual accolades reflect a broader cultural shift within the Atlanta locker room. The Dream finished the regular season with the third-ranked defense in the WNBA, driven partly by an internal competition where teammates tracked deflections and steals against one another during games to maintain intensity across all four quarters.
Reese shared the credit with her backcourt. She ranked third in the league in steals per game at 1.8, trailing only Atlanta teammates Rhyne Howard (2.3) and Jordin Canada (1.9). Howard and Canada received one vote each in the Defensive Player of the Year balloting. Golden State forward Gabby Williams finished second overall with 20 votes, followed by Las Vegas star A'ja Wilson with four, Washington’s Shakira Austin with two, and Golden State’s Veronica Burton with one.
“I have the trophy and I definitely want them to sign the trophy,” Reese said regarding her teammates. “They deserve it as much as I do.”
Reese joined the Dream as a free agent after spending her first two seasons with the Chicago Sky, who selected her seventh overall in the 2024 draft out of LSU. Her transition to Atlanta immediately altered the franchise’s trajectory, pairing her rebounding volume with a roster built to push pace and pressure ball handlers.
The semifinal series against the top-seeded New York Liberty begins next week.
