NEW YORK, Oct. 1, 2026 – Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese has been named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, the WNBA announced today. She wins the award for the first time and becomes the first Dream player to earn the honor.
Reese received 46 votes from a national panel of 74 sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams finished in second place with 20 votes, followed by Las Vegas Aces center-forward A’ja Wilson in third with four votes. Washington Mystics center Shakira Austin finished fourth with two votes, and Golden State guard Veronica Burton and Atlanta guard Rhyne Howard tied for fifth with one vote each.
In her third WNBA season and first with the Dream, Reese ranked third in the WNBA in both steals per game (1.8) and total steals (77), setting career highs in both categories. She also finished third in total defensive rebounds (315) and led the league with 12.1 rebounds per game.
Behind Reese, Atlanta ranked third in the WNBA in defensive rating (103.5). Her rebounding helped the Dream allow a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.
Reese set WNBA single-season records with 521 total rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds, becoming the first player in league history to reach 500 rebounds in a season. She also grabbed a WNBA-record 26 rebounds in a road victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Aug. 24.
The 6-4 Reese posted a WNBA single-season record of 32 double-doubles and was one of only two players to average a double-double this season. She averaged a career-high 16.4 points per game and earned her third consecutive WNBA All-Star selection.
Reese closed the regular season by earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in three consecutive weeks. She helped Atlanta finish 30-14 and secure the No. 4 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. The Dream are set to host the No. 8-seeded New York Liberty in the Semifinals on Sunday, Oct. 4.
In honor of being named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Reese will receive $30,000 and a trophy designed to commemorate her achievement.
Below are the voting results for the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and a list of past recipients of the annual honor.
VOTING RESULTS: 2026 KIA WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Player (Team)
Votes
Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream)
46
Gabby Williams (Golden State Valkyries)
20
A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces)
4
Shakira Austin (Washington Mystics)
2
Veronica Burton (Golden State Valkyries)
1
Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream)
1
KIA WNBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1997 – Teresa Weatherspoon, New York
1998 – Teresa Weatherspoon, New York
1999 – Yolanda Griffith, Sacramento
2000 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2001 – Debbie Black, Miami
2002 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2003 – Sheryl Swoopes, Houston
2004 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2005 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2006 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2007 – Lauren Jackson, Seattle
2008 – Lisa Leslie, Los Angeles
2009 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2010 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2011 – Sylvia Fowles, Chicago
2012 – Tamika Catchings, Indiana
2013 – Sylvia Fowles, Chicago
2014 – Brittney Griner, Phoenix
2015 – Brittney Griner, Phoenix
2016 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2017 – Alana Beard, Los Angeles
2018 – Alana Beard, Los Angeles
2019 – Natasha Howard, Seattle
2020 – Candace Parker, Los Angeles
2021 – Sylvia Fowles, Minnesota
2022 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2023 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas
2024 – Napheesa Collier, Minnesota
2025 – Alanna Smith, Minnesota (tie)
2025 – A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas (tie)
2026 – Angel Reese, Atlanta
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