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Reese Brings WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Honor to Atlanta
Reese earned 46 of 74 votes after leading the Dream to a 7.9-point defensive differential per 100 possessions, league data confirms.
- On Thursday, the WNBA named Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first franchise player to win the honor with 46 of 74 votes from a national panel.
- Acquired from the Chicago Sky in an April trade, Reese transformed Atlanta's defense, which ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rating and limited opponents to a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.
- Reese set WNBA single-season records with 521 total rebounds and 32 double-doubles, establishing herself as an elite defender alongside teammates Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada who formed a disruptive defensive presence.
- After Wednesday's playoff win, mother Angel Webb Reese surprised her daughter with the trophy, prompting the forward to say, 'I think they deserve it just as much as I do,' about teammates Rhyne and Jordin.
- Coming off a first-round sweep of the Washington Mystics, Atlanta advances to the WNBA Semifinals to face the New York Liberty starting Sunday, October 4, in a matchup that marks the team's first semifinal appearance since 2018.
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Dream F Angel Reese named Defensive Player of the Year
By Field Level Media Oct 01 (Field Level Media) - 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 settin...
Angel Reese Wins 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, Full Voting Results Announced
One day after helping the Atlanta Dream win their first playoff series in eight years, Angel Reese has been named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2026 season.
·San Francisco, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Center
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
64% Center
L 27%
C 64%
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