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Reese Named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year
Confirmed
In Short: Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream won the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award after a standout season.
Angel Reese was named the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, receiving 46 out of 74 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.
Reese, who joined the Dream in the offseason via a trade with the Chicago Sky, averaged a career-high 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
The 24-year-old forward set the WNBA single-season record with 32 double-doubles and ranked in the top four in defensive rating, defensive rebound percentage, and total defensive rebounds.
Reese's defensive prowess helped the Dream establish themselves as one of the league's top teams. The Atlanta Dream's starting five owns the best defensive rating of any qualified five-player lineup in the WNBA.
Reese's defensive impact was evident as she led the league in steals, with the Dream's top three in steals all playing for the team.
Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Allisha Gray also had standout seasons, contributing to the Dream's success.
Howard and Reese have rewritten WNBA history, while Canada has elevated her game as a floor general and premier defensive guard.
The Dream finished the regular season with a 26-14 record, securing their fourth consecutive trip to the WNBA Playoffs with four games remaining.
Reese's confidence in her defensive abilities was evident when she told ESPN, 'I told my coaches earlier in the season I am going to be the Defensive Player of the Year.
Reese is the first Dream player to win the award and the first Eastern Conference player to do so since Sylvia Fowles in 2013.
The Dream's success extends beyond defense, as they are one of only two teams in the league with three players averaging more than 16 points per game.
What this adds
The WNBA has not yet announced a schedule for the remaining awards, including MVP and Sixth Player of the Year.
What's confirmed
- All-Defensive Team ANGEL REESE Defensive Player of the Year.
What's still developing
- And perhaps no statistic captures Atlanta’s defensive identity better than 1, 2 and 3.
- The WNBA announced the voting results for the award on Thursday with Reese receiving 46 out of 74 votes, beating out Gabby Williams (20 votes), A'ja Wilson (four votes), Shakira Austin (two votes), Veronica Burton (one vote) and Rhyne Howard (one vote).
- Reese reacted to the honor by posting a video on social media: Reese joined the Dream in the offseason after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Sky for two first-round draft picks.
- She responded to the change of scenery with arguably the best season of her career.
- The 24-year-old was one of two players to average a double-double in the regular season, along with Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard.
- Ironically, the first two awards announced -- Olivia Miles, Rookie of the Year and Cheryl Reeve, Coach of the Year -- were won by members of the Minnesota Lynx who were eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday by the New York Liberty, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 seed in the first round in WNBA history.
- On Wednesday, Jessica Shepard joined the honorees when she was named Most Improved Player ahead of the Dallas Wings ' Game 2 win against the Golden State Valkyries.
- The WNBA has not announced an awards schedule this year, so it's unclear when the remaining honors will be announced.
- She is the sixth player to win that honor unanimously, joining Aliyah Boston, A'ja Wilson, Elena Delle Donne, Tina Charles and Candace Parker.
- Still to come are MVP and Sixth Player of the Year, as well as the All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Rookie Teams.
- In addition, the league will hand out the Executive of the Year and the Sportsmanship Award.
- "When I said last week that the Defensive Player of the Year was in Atlanta, I felt that because Jordin's and Rhyne's impact can't go unnoticed," Reese said.