Atlanta Dream superstar Angel Reese has been named The Athletic’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The Dream wrapped up their WNBA regular season on Wednesday with an 83-65 win over the New York Liberty. With the victory, Reese and Co. locked in the fourth seed and the home-court advantage in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.
Reese has been one of the team’s key players this season, serving as a double-double machine and a defensive anchor for the Dream.
The three-time WNBA All-Star has averaged 16.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals across 43 games in her first season with Atlanta.
Given her immense impact on the defensive end, The Athletic named her WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. The honor was announced on Thursday.
“Angel Reese’s defensive stats this season:
- 12.1 RPG (1st in WNBA)
- 1.8 SPG (3rd in WNBA)
- First in defensive win shares
- Fourth in defensive rating.
She’s earned The Athletic’s DPOY award 🏆” the caption read.
To be clear, this is not the official DPOY title awarded by the league. However, Reese is a top contender for this year’s official award, along with the Golden State Valkyries’ Gabby Williams and the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson.
The DPOY award, like any other major individual award in the WNBA, is decided by a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who submit ballots for their top three players.
The deadline to submit votes this season was Thursday, and the winners are announced gradually as the postseason progresses.
Reese etched her name in WNBA history this year with the most double-doubles in a single season (32 in 43 games). She surpassed Alyssa Thomas’ 2023 record of 28 double-doubles in 40 games.
The Dream will face the Washington Mystics in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 in Atlanta is scheduled for Sunday.
