Angel Reese named 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese has been named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, the WNBA announced on Oct. 1, 2026. The league said the award is Reese’s first Defensive Player of the Year recognition and the first time a player from the Dream has won the honour.

According to the WNBA’s release, Reese received 46 votes from a national panel of 74 sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams placed second with 20 votes, while Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson finished third with four. Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin was fourth with two, and Golden State guard Veronica Burton and Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard tied for fifth with one vote each.

The WNBA said Reese’s 2026 defensive numbers included rankings that the league described as top-end production in multiple categories. In her third WNBA season and her first year with Atlanta after being previously with another franchise, Reese ranked third in the league in both steals per game (1.8) and total steals (77), and the WNBA said both totals were career highs.

The league also tied Reese’s defensive rebounds to her impact overall. The WNBA reported that Reese finished third in total defensive rebounds (315) and led the WNBA with 12.1 defensive rebounds per game. It added that behind Reese, Atlanta ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rating (103.5), and the Dream allowed a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.

The WNBA further said Reese set multiple single-season rebounding benchmarks during the regular season. The league reported Reese recorded 521 total rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds, and said that with those figures she became the first player in WNBA history to reach 500 rebounds in a season. The league also noted a WNBA single-game record for rebounds, stating Reese grabbed 26 rebounds in a road win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 24.

Along with defence and rebounding, the WNBA’s announcement also referenced Reese’s all-around output. It said the 6-foot-4 forward posted a WNBA single-season record of 32 double-doubles and was one of only two players to average a double-double in 2026. The league reported she averaged a career-high 16.4 points per game and earned her third consecutive WNBA All-Star selection.

The WNBA said Reese’s strong closing stretch included being named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in three consecutive weeks as Atlanta advanced through the final part of the regular season. The Dream finished 30-14 and secured the No. 4 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.

Looking ahead to the postseason, the WNBA said Atlanta will host the No. 8-seeded New York Liberty in the Semifinals on Sunday, Oct. 4. The award announcement therefore arrives as the Dream prepare for their first matchup of the playoffs at their home venue during the same postseason run.

As part of the award, the WNBA stated that Reese will receive $30,000 and a trophy designed to commemorate her 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year achievement.