What stands as Angel Reese’s most impressive accomplishment?
Could it be her most recent honor, clinching the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award?
Or perhaps it’s both making the USA Basketball Women’s World Cup team and excelling to help secure a gold medal? Maybe it’s the record-breaking feats she achieved in the WNBA—leading the league in single-season rebounds and double-doubles, and becoming the first player ever to tally 500 rebounds in one season. It could also be her pivotal role in guiding the Atlanta Dream to 30 wins, a No. 4 playoff seed, and a first-round sweep.
Or maybe the greatest achievement is how she envisioned all these goals publicly on her podcast, Unapologetically Angel, and then brought every single one to life—and beyond.
Angel also shared that her mantra this year was “elevation,” stating, “I want to continue to elevate in every category of my life.”
Winning the Defensive Player of the Year award represents the peak of that commitment to rising higher.
Reese secured 46 of the 74 Defensive Player of the Year votes, with Gabby Williams of the Golden State Valkyries in second place at 20 votes. The previous co-DPOY, A’ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces, came in third with four votes. Other players earning single votes included Shakira Austin and Sonia Citron from the Washington Mystics, Veronica Burton from the Valkyries, and Rhyne Howard from the Dream.
In her debut year with Atlanta, Angel quickly became the cornerstone of their defense, helping the team achieve a 103.5 defensive rating. Her knack for controlling the game—evident in her averages of 1.8 steals and 12.1 rebounds per game—regularly shut down opponents’ scoring chances.
One of the standout moments of Reese’s season was her stunning 26-rebound performance against the Los Angeles Sparks, setting a new WNBA record for rebounds in a single game.
Then again, for someone who’s always pushing to elevate, her most remarkable moment might still lie ahead.
The Dream are set to begin their semifinal series against the New York Liberty on Sunday.
Fan Take: Angel Reese’s rise symbolizes the next great era of WNBA talent—her defensive dominance and record-breaking presence energize fans and elevate the league’s profile. As she continues to break barriers and set new standards, Reese not only inspires future players but also shows that the WNBA is a stage for extraordinary athleticism and ambition.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
