Angel Reese wins WNBA Defensive Player of the Year before Dream face Liberty

Angel Reese is the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. The league announced the award Thursday, October 1, making the Atlanta Dream forward the first player in franchise history to win it. This is the WNBA's official season award, separate from the Associated Press honor Reese received in September.

Reese received 46 of 74 votes from the league's media panel. Golden State's Gabby Williams finished second with 20, Las Vegas' A'ja Wilson third with four, Washington's Shakira Austin fourth with two, and Veronica Burton and Rhyne Howard received one vote each. The margin shows a clear winner while acknowledging the broader field of defensive candidates.

In her first season with Atlanta, Reese averaged a league-leading 12.1 rebounds and set WNBA single-season records with 521 total rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds, according to the league release. She also recorded 77 steals, third in the league, and averaged 1.8 steals per game. Her 315 defensive rebounds ranked third. Ending possessions and disrupting passes were both part of her case.

A defensive case beyond rebounds

Atlanta finished third in team defensive rating at 103.5 and allowed a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game. The Dream credited Reese's defensive versatility, but its defense was also a team effort that included Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada. An individual award does not make the rest of that unit incidental.

The announcement comes as Atlanta prepares for a best-of-five semifinal against New York. The Dream swept Washington in the first round and will host the Liberty in Game 1 on Sunday, October 4. New York advanced by sweeping top-seeded Minnesota, setting up a direct test of Atlanta's pressure and defensive rebounding against a team with momentum of its own.

The award and the next test

Reese's regular-season totals and award are settled. What those strengths yield against the Liberty is not. The WNBA game page had not announced a tip time or broadcast at our Thursday afternoon check.