ATLANTA ― Angel Reesedidn't flinch when she made a declaration moments after the Atlanta Dream clinched a spot in the 2026 WNBA playoffs.
"I think the Defensive Player of the Year is in Atlanta,” Reese said on August 22, following a 99-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury that punched the Dream's ticket to the postseason. "One of us, and you can check the stats, too."
Just over 40 days later, the three-time All-Star was proven correct.
The WNBA announced Reese was voted the league's Defensive Player of the Year on Oct. 1, the first player in franchise history to win the honor during her first season with the Dream. The 24-year-old received received 46 of the 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, reflecting a monster year and impact
on the league.
The 6-foot-4 forward averaged a double-double for a third consecutive season. Reese put up a career-high 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a career-high 1.8 steals per game, which ranked third in the WNBA behind teammates Rhyne Howard (2.3) and Jordin Canada (1.9).
Reese led the league in rebounds and offensive rebounds per game (4.8), while setting WNBA single-season records in total rebounds (521), offensive rebounds (206) and double-doubles (32). She also posted defensive win shares of 1.98, which ranked third in the league and finished top 20 in total blocks (32). With Reese in tow, Atlanta ranked third in defensive rating (103.5), and her rebounding helped the Dream allow 9.5 second-chance points per game, league low.
“She's a defensive presence in the paint. She goes hard every single play. Whether that's defensive ― defensive rebounding, you might as well just chalk that up," Dream forward DeWanna Bonner said. "She's just gonna go hard. When you have a player like that, who's just an anchor in the middle of your defense, it just makes everybody else wanna go harder as well.
"We feed off her energy, and we feed off her defensive presence."
Angel Reese reaches goal
Reese made her desire have a defensive impact known in April at training camp. She described the environment with her Dream teammates as "electric," praising the team for adding her after an offseason trade from Chicago. Reese said during her first availability that she would thrive with the defensive players on the Dream. Then, Reese revealed a not-so-secret mission: she told Howard she wanted to be on the WNBA All-Defensive team.
But it wasn't just that she wanted to be recognized as one of the WNBA's top defenders; she wanted to be the best defender in the league. In an ESPN interview, Reese said she told head coach Karl Smesko and Atlanta's coaching staff that she was going to be Defensive Player of the Year. She wasn't sure if it would be in 2026, but that wouldn't stop her from trying or challenging herself to achieve it. She wanted her coaches to push her to reach it.
Reese had quietly been one of the league's better defenders since arriving as the No. 7 overall pick in 2024, and in 2025, during her offseason, she was named Defensive Player of the Year in Unrivaled, which allowed her to showcase her skills in a different environment. The league, which features a 3x3 setup, leaves a lot more space to work with on the floor, but little room for error. Reese was tasked with guarding multiple players at different positions, something she carried over into her WNBA season.
“I can guard one through five, and you can see it. You can see the matchups that I play against. I take it very personally, especially when it comes to matchups, and just try to make sure that I keep my personnel together. And I’m very intentional with that,” Reese said.
"Being able to guard here (in the WNBA) with a couple more players — I mean, obviously, it’s a little different — but I think just me just being able to be consistent every single night, defensively, and making sure I bring it, no matter what the offense looks like."
Manifesting the outcome
Shortly after Reese proclaimed the Defensive Player of the Year was in Atlanta, the chatter started getting louder around her case for the honor. The Dream also went 6-1 to close out the season. For the second consecutive year, Atlanta finished with 30 wins and a top-three defense or better, a testament to the culture that Smesko created, one that appeared to lean into the strengths of multiple elite defenders, including Reese.
She finished her first season with Atlanta with a 100.0 defensive rating, good for fourth in the WNBA. The Dream also allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with the former LSU product on the floor, the largest defensive on-off differential among the team's rotation players.
"That's gotta be case closed, right? She has to be first-team All-Defensive. I think the question comes in: Will she be Defensive Player of the Year? And I think all of the advanced metrics — she has a very strong case and deserves it." Smesko said.
"From the defensive metrics part of it, we have multiple players that should be on the All-Defensive team. (Rhyne Howard) should be in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year as well, and Jordin Canada should be on the team. If people look into the numbers and the plays they make and how good our defense is when they’re on the floor, I think, hopefully, all three will be on the team. And somebody with an Atlanta Dream uniform will be the Defensive Player of the Year. Right now, I think Angel’s case is as good as anyone’s."
As it turns out, Reese's case was more than good enough, and her head-turning year defensively was punctuated by receiving her award from her mom. In a video released by the Dream, the star's mom walked into a team gathering carrying a bouquet and the award with Reese's dog in tow.
The moment appeared to catch Reese by surprise, who stayed wide-eyed with her mouth open as her mom approached. Then, she put her head in her hands as her Atlanta teammates cheered. Reese hugged her mom and immediately broke down crying as she was presented with the award.
"I'm so grateful for you guys. You guys (have) always been there for me and pushed me every single day, and I'm so thankful," Reese said to her teammates through her tears. "I'm just happy to be in Atlanta, and I just wanna finish this off the right way because I think we deserve it."
Reese will be on the All-Defensive team, a dream ― pun intended ― realized. The star hasn't been shy about repeatedly sharing her goals and putting them on a vision board before the year begins. With her latest piece of hardware in hand and a possible championship within reach, it appears Reese's habit of speaking things into existence is working.
"Before the season, I write down all my goals and put things on there that many people may not think that I can do, but I know I'm capable of because I put the work in for it. So, I keep that kinda to myself, but I also shared that with (Teresea Weatherspoon)," Reese said Sunday before a 92-82 Game 1 win. "We talked about that earlier ― on the season, about the goals for the season. Obviously, I'm not finished yet with the goals, but it is cool to see the small wins, and also just continue to push forward."
On Sunday, Reese's answer was confident yet calm, a recurring theme in how she's attacked every milestone in a Dream jersey.
"I dream so big, and I think there's no dream that is so big. So many people write me off. So many people have doubted me. Coming into the league and being the seventh pick, nobody thought I was gonna be able to be in this position, but I knew. And the people in my circle knew," Reese said on. Aug. 30.
"I was supposed to be in this moment, and it was destined for me. So, it really doesn't surprise me. I'm just really grateful, and I'm thankful."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Angel Reese manifested a WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award
