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Angel Reese defensive player award caps remarkable 2026 run

Dustin JudgeDustin Judge
Angel Reese, then with the Chicago Sky, at Wintrust Arena in 2025, a year before the Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year award with Atlanta

Angel Reese has already rewritten the WNBA rebounding record book in her first season with the Atlanta Dream. Now she has the hardware to match. The Associated Press named her its Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday, Sept. 27, and the Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year pick is a first for the franchise, the team announced.

Reese also made the All-AP Second Team, as did teammate Rhyne Howard. They are the first Dream teammates named to an AP All-WNBA team in the same season, according to the Dream.

The numbers behind Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year

Reese led the league with 12.3 rebounds per game and became the first WNBA player to grab 500 rebounds in a season. Along the way she set single-season records for total and offensive rebounds, and her 32 double-doubles were also a league record, per the Dream. Her 26-rebound game set a WNBA single-game mark.

  • Rebounds per game: 12.3, first in the WNBA
  • Double-doubles: 32, a single-season record
  • Best rebounding game: 26, a league record
  • Steals: career-high six in one game
  • Honors: third straight All-Star selection; Eastern Conference Player of the Week three weeks in a row to end the season, a franchise first

A defense built around Reese and Howard

Howard’s work on the perimeter complemented the Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year season inside. Howard tied the WNBA single-season record with 100 steals and set the league mark with 134 3-pointers, the team said. The two helped Atlanta reach the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

The Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year season came after an April trade from the Chicago Sky, a deal Total Apex Sports broke down in why the Sky moved on from Reese. Another AP award this week went to Jessica Shepard, covered in Shepard’s Most Improved season.

A first semifinal trip since 2018

Three days after the Angel Reese Defensive Player of the Year announcement, Atlanta finished a first-round sweep of Washington, winning 92-77 at home and 93-75 on the road Wednesday, Sept. 30. Reese had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in the clincher, while Allisha Gray scored 22 and Jordin Canada added 19 points and 11 assists, according to the AP recap via CBS Sports. It sent the Dream to the semifinals for the first time since 2018. Total Apex Sports has the full Dream-Mystics Game 2 recap.

The Dream host the New York Liberty in Game 1 on Sunday, Oct. 4. New York swept top-seeded Minnesota to become the first No. 8 seed to knock out a No. 1 seed in the league’s 30-year history, the AP reported. More is on the site’s WNBA page.

Reporting from the Atlanta Dream and CBS Sports (AP) contributed to this story. Series results: ESPN.

Dustin Judge

Dustin Judge is the Founder and CEO of Total Apex Media, bringing more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience to the company's growing network of digital publications. He specializes in sports, sports betting, fantasy sports, and digital publishing, with a focus on producing accurate, timely, and engaging content for readers. Dustin oversees editorial strategy, content development, and publishing operations across Total Apex Media while remaining actively involved in sports, betting, and fantasy sports coverage.