{"id":843905,"date":"2026-09-11T08:28:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:28:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/843905\/"},"modified":"2026-09-11T08:28:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T08:28:19","slug":"is-the-wnbas-defensive-player-of-the-year-in-atlanta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/843905\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in Atlanta?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Angel Reese<\/a> took to the podium after the Dream\u2019s 11-point win over the Phoenix Mercury on Aug. 22, she was confident.<\/p>\n

Feeling herself.<\/p>\n

Feeling her team.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable why, too, as the Dream were in the midst of a four-game road winning streak \u2013 including beating the Las Vegas Aces, who always have the Dream\u2019s number \u2013 and it marked the third straight game where the Dream\u2019s defensive big three \u2013 Reese, Rhyne Howard<\/a>, and Jordin Canada<\/a> \u2013 recorded eight or more steals in a game.<\/p>\n

In fact, during that three-game stretch, the three Dream defensive stalwarts recorded 27 steals between them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the Defensive Player of the Year is in Atlanta,\u201d Reese said during her postgame availability. \u201cOne through three. One of us. So, you can check the stats, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

The confidence is part of what makes her Angel, but does the Defensive Player of the Year really reside in Atlanta?<\/p>\n

The odds seem to think it\u2019s a possibility. Here\u2019s what FanDuel has the odds set at as of Sept. 9:<\/p>\n

Those aren\u2019t stats, though. Those are just betting odds. Reese gave us a prompt to \u201ccheck the stats,\u201d so we\u2019re going to do just that to see the case for her, Howard, and Canada.<\/p>\n

Traditional stats<\/p>\n

Rhyne Howard:<\/p>\n

First in steals per game<\/p>\n

Second in points off turnovers<\/p>\n

Jordin Canada:<\/p>\n

Second in steals per game<\/p>\n

The only player in the league to average more than 6 assists and 1 steal per game<\/p>\n

Angel Reese:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Third in steals per game<\/p>\n

10th in points off of turnovers<\/p>\n

These are the traditional stats where the Dream players excel. All season long, head coach Karl Smesko has put an emphasis on getting DEALS (deflections+steals), and it\u2019s something that all three have taken seriously.<\/p>\n

Canada and Howard have been having an internal competition game-to-game to jockey for position as the league leader in steals, with Reese right behind them.<\/p>\n

As for the deflections, well, it\u2019s a stat that isn\u2019t tracked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they keep this as a stat, but Rhyne probably leads the league in deflections,\u201d Smesko told reporters. \u201cShe\u2019s just very disruptive on the defensive end.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Howard, specifically, she has a chance to break the WNBA record for steals in a season (100 by Teresa Weatherspoon<\/a> in 1998), needing nine more across the team\u2019s final four games to get her there.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoach talks a lot about deflections and steals,\u201d Canada said. \u201cI think that is the difference with our defense of just being able to just get a lot of deflections, hands on the ball, and us being able to run out and transition and getting a lot of steals and stealing possessions from the other team, and allowing us to execute on the offensive end in transition.\u201d<\/p>\n

No team does a better job in prioritizing its defense to set up its offense than the Golden State Valkyries, but Atlanta is up there in terms of doing what it wants to do \u2013 push the pace.<\/p>\n

Howard leading the charge in points off of turnovers isn\u2019t a surprise, neither is Reese coming in at No. 10. Canada won\u2019t appear there, but she\u2019s the facilitator on offense who will push the action out of transition to often set them up for those buckets.<\/p>\n

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Advanced stats<\/p>\n

Rhyne Howard<\/p>\n

14th in total VPM (98th percentile)<\/p>\n

99th percentile in turnover value (+38)<\/p>\n

Fifth in the league in stop percentage<\/p>\n

10th in defensive rating<\/p>\n

Third in defensive win shares (2.3)<\/p>\n

Fourth in total win shares 6.5<\/p>\n

Fourth in rated man-to-man defense<\/p>\n

Leads all players in minutes per game<\/p>\n

Third in the league in transition points per game<\/p>\n

Second in the league in fast-break threes.<\/p>\n

92 steals are the fifth most in any WNBA season<\/p>\n

Fourth in defensive net points<\/p>\n

Second in total net points<\/p>\n

Second in Wins Above Replacement (WAR) at 6.5. A\u2019ja Wilson leads all players at 6.6<\/p>\n

Jordin Canada<\/p>\n

One of three qualified point guards to have a positive offensive and defensive VPM<\/p>\n

In the 94th percentile or better in assist creation and self-created shots<\/p>\n

Third in the league in stop percentage<\/p>\n

15th in defensive rating (2nd among PGs)<\/p>\n

10th in defensive win shares (2nd among PGs) 1.9<\/p>\n

Top 20 in isolated defense<\/p>\n

Sixth in defensive WAR (tied with A\u2019ja and Azzi)<\/p>\n

Angel Reese<\/p>\n

Second in defensive VPM<\/p>\n

98th percentile in turnover value<\/p>\n

3.5 stop percentage (82nd percentile)<\/p>\n

Fourth in defensive rating<\/p>\n

Leads all players in defensive win shares (2.5)<\/p>\n

Defensive on\/off leader (-15.1 difference when she\u2019s off the court)<\/p>\n

No. 5 in net rating difference<\/p>\n

Second in defensive RAPM<\/p>\n

Tied for first in jump balls won<\/p>\n

Ranks 13th in defensive ranking during high-leverage minutes<\/p>\n

One of two players to average a double-double on the season<\/p>\n

One of two centers to average more than 1.5 steals per game (Aliyah Boston<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Leads the league in Total Rebound Percentage<\/p>\n

She has 485 rebounds, 198 offensive rebounds, and 36 mebounds (z-bounds) for 18.75%<\/p>\n

The three also have a 101.9 defensive rating for three-player lineup rankings, which is 11th among all qualified lineups.<\/p>\n

When Gabby Williams, the betting favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, was in Atlanta earlier this year, she chatted with The IX Sports about the tide changing from bigs to wings<\/a> in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.<\/p>\n

A lot of that has to do with not looking just at the traditional box score stats, but looking deeper than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you have guards like Ryne and I, there are no guards who are never mentioned in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year,\u201d Williams told The IX Sports. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that we start seeing more players like us and others like Allisha Gray<\/a> in there, as well. We are players who just want to win and want to win on the defensive end. I just hope that it brings some light to it, and that we\u2019re not just counting blocks.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the Dream players \u2013 and Williams \u2013 really stand out.<\/p>\n

A lot of the above stats are measured with advanced plus-minus data, taking context into account with not just the points scored when they are on and off the court (a flawed metric to use), but it\u2019s looking at who is playing alongside them, who is against them, the matchups that they are drawing, the hedging on the screens, the help-side defense, and more.<\/p>\n

Now, each voter has their own criteria to vote for, and sometimes, it\u2019s easier to look at the surface-level stats.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s relate this to baseball really quick, yeah? Stay with me.<\/p>\n

A player can win the Triple Crown if they lead the league in home runs, runs scored, and RBIs. Now, as the sport has developed, we know that there are data points that more accurately measure a player\u2019s value to a team and overall value that are stickier than using runs and RBIs, which lack context and other variables.<\/p>\n

However, for the average fan, it\u2019s worth using those as an entry point and for accessibility. Both of those are good things.<\/p>\n

The same can be said with the WNBA. If blocks, steals, and defensive rating are what you care about the most, I\u2019m not here to change your mind.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting, though, that it\u2019s the reason that bigs traditionally win this award as the last line of defense.<\/p>\n

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The eye test<\/p>\n

What about what can\u2019t be measured?<\/p>\n

Before the Dream\u2019s final game before the FIBA break, I asked Smesko about what the three players do that may not be seen in the box score.<\/p>\n

The example that I threw out to him was the job that Reese does defending ball screens with her lateral and vertical quickness to take away passing lanes, hedge out on the ball handler, and get back into position to thwart any additional offensive motion out of the play.<\/p>\n

Smesko was ready for this one.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let me start with Rhyne, because I do think that she is one of the smartest players in the league, and she knows what\u2019s coming ahead of time,\u201d Smesko said. \u201cWe all do our film work, and we have a pretty good idea of what\u2019s ahead, but she is ahead of the game. She knows what\u2019s coming next. I think that gives her a really big advantage in those situations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor Jordin, it\u2019s her relentlessness. She\u2019s just what you want to be. You want to be annoying to go against, and JC is just always right there, and you\u2019re not going to lose her. And if you get away from her for a second, you only have one second because she\u2019s getting back in front of you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then, came Smesko on Reese.<\/p>\n

Reese told The IX Sports that, \u201cI want to win a Defensive Player of the Year Award. He (Smesko) knows what I can bring defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n

He does, indeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that Angel has improved defensively throughout the year because she\u2019s been serious about wanting to make the WNBA All-Defensive team and also being considered for Defensive Player of the Year,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve seen ball screen defense improve, help side defense improve, defensive communication improve. I do think we have some really good impact players on the defensive side of the ball, and hopefully they get recognized as such.\u201d<\/p>\n

Where do they rank against past winners?<\/p>\n

The game evolves as we\u2019ve seen, but the best way to use actionable data is to look at a three-year sample.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what we\u2019ll do here with Canada, Howard, and Reese \u2013 as well as Williams, the betting favorite \u2013 compared to the last three winners of the Defensive Player of the Year Award, with a mix of surface-level stats and analytical ones.<\/p>\n

PlayerYearStealsBlocksDefensive RatingDefensive Win SharesDefensive VPMRhyne Howard20262.40.9100.52.31.5Jordin Canada20261.90.3102.31.91Angel Reese20261.80.798.42.51.8Gabby Williams20261.60.296.72.12.1A\u2019ja Wilson20251.62.393.32.62.6Alanna Smith<\/a>20251.31.993.72.31Napheesa Collier<\/a>20241.91.489.22.92.4A\u2019ja Wilson20231.42.291.32.82.8<\/p>\n

Their advocates<\/p>\n

Smesko is an advocate, of course, and when he was asked pregame against the Portland Fire about his \u201cpitch\u201d for the three standout defenders, a huge smile broke across his face.<\/p>\n

\u201cOoh, the pitch!\u201d Smesko exclaimed. \u201cYou should have told me ahead of time so I could have all of the numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

I have them, coach. Don\u2019t worry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think we have multiple candidates for Defensive Player of the Year,\u201d he said. Obviously there\u2019s Angel. You always look at those counting numbers, like steals and rebounds, and she\u2019s the best rebounder in the league. But like our defensive rating with her on the floor is exceptional, and really with our starting unit on the floor, our defensive rating is exceptional (*first in the league, in fact, coach*). The impact that she makes, and being able to guard multiple positions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen you\u2019re looking at Rhyne. There isn\u2019t another player in the league that has as many deflections and defensive plays and takes on the toughest defensive assignments all the time. And then, definitely for a WNBA All-Defensive team, like I think sometimes JC gets overlooked just because she\u2019s not someone who\u2019s going to be talking about all the things that she contributes to the team. She\u2019s the first one to praise everybody else, but we know how big JC\u2019s been for us this year. She\u2019s had a great offensive year, but defensively, only Rhyne has more steals. She\u2019s just so competitive on the defensive end. She makes such a huge impact on that side.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smesko was right about his assessment of Canada. Not just about her contributions, of course, but about the way that she will lift up \u2013 and advocate for \u2013 her teammates ahead of herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that Angel impacts the game in a lot of different ways, and the same with Rhyne,\u201d Canada said. \u201cBut for me, I\u2019m just here to do my job, honestly. I don\u2019t care about awards. I mean, it\u2019s great to get recognized, but at the end of the day, I just want to win. I want to do whatever I can to help my teammates. So, whatever that requires of me, I\u2019m going to do. I know there\u2019s going to be a lot of people that count me out, and that\u2019s fine. I just want to continue playing the best that I can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

One person who isn\u2019t counting Canada out \u2013 or Howard and Reese \u2013 is the guy who was in charge of keeping this core group together this offseason: general manager Dan Padover.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s funny because all three affect the game at different stages, right? Jordin gets people right from the break, and I think she makes it really difficult on the opposing team\u2019s lead ball handler for 35 to 40 minutes, and it starts there,\u201d Padover told The IX Sports. \u201cThen they get to the next secondary level, and Rhyne is just everywhere, and from a lateral standpoint, she can just cover so much ground with her quickness, with her length. She\u2019s got some of the best hands in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n

Padover goes on to talk about Reese\u2019s impact not only at the rim at the third level, but also her versatility.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Angel on the back line, she can switch from guards to bigs. She\u2019s so quick,\u201d Padover said. \u201cShe can get out and recover to posts who can shoot. She makes huge plays, as you guys have seen with you know some phenomenal steals. They all are just obviously really quick to get to the ball, whether it\u2019s from a deflection or steals perspective. That\u2019s why they\u2019re in the top three in the league. But they all do it from a different position. They all do it in different ways, and all three of them are equally effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

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There hasn\u2019t been a big push behind any of them yet. Once FIBA ends, we\u2019ll see more of that. Media voters have from Sept. 17 to 25 to vote for their award winners \u2013 including the Defensive Player of the Year.<\/p>\n

Once momentum starts taking shape, Smesko will be ready to make a strong push for his player.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do think we should have the Defensive Player of the Year, and I will weigh in as soon as I see that there\u2019s some momentum behind one of our players,\u201d Smesko said. \u201cI\u2019m all in on that one, and I will say that lately, Angel seems to be trending in that direction. So I\u2019m hoping everybody takes a look at what we\u2019ve been able to do defensively, not just with the counting numbers, but analytically, what we\u2019ve been able to do with Angel and Rhyne on the floor, and then hopefully J.C. makes the WNBA All-Defensive team, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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