Angel Reese appears to be doing what some said she couldn’t. On Sunday, September 27, the Associated Press released its end-of-season awards, and Reese earned a major honor. Alongside Reese is her Atlanta Dream teammate, Rhyne Howard, who also made the list.
In addition to Angel Reese, other WNBA superstars, including A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, were named to the list. The good news comes just hours before the 2026 WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel begin at 2:00 PM EST.
Angel Reese Wins AP Defensive Player Of The Year
Reese was named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, according to a new press release. Reese becomes the first player in Atlanta Dream history to earn AP Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Additionally, Reese and her Dream teammate Rhyne Howard were each selected to the All-AP Second Team, becoming the first pair of Dream teammates named to an AP All-Team in the same season.
Reese had quite the third season, becoming the first player to record 500 rebounds in a single season and setting the league single-season records for total rebounds and offensive rebounds.
The LSU alum also set the WNBA single-season record with 32 double-doubles and recorded a WNBA-record 26 rebounds in a single game.
Reese finished the season averaging 12.3 rebounds and earned WNBA Peak Performer honors.
Angel Reese Receives AP Honors Ahead Of WNBA Awards
Reese earned AP DPOY honors days before the WNBA unveils its official awards throughout the playoffs.
Some Reese fans and sports analysts have been calling for Reese to win the league’s official DPOY award, especially after her performance in the FIBA World Cup.
Even before winning gold with Team USA in September 2026, Reese was one of the league’s top defenders, showing her ability during clutch moments against teams like the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever.
“That’s gotta be case closed, right? She has to be All-Defensive Team,” Karl Smesko, the Dream’s head coach, said. “I think the question is whether she’ll be Defensive Player of the Year. I think she has a very strong case in a lot of the advanced metrics and deserves it.”
Angel Reese Is ‘Not Satisfied’
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While Reese has had an impressive year, the WNBA star said she still has more to do. Speaking with WNBA on Prime, Reese appeared to wave off her latest rebounding record and said she was focused on something bigger.
“I’m not satisfied. This is just the beginning. This is the start. This is year three for me. I mean, I want to be in a league for a good amount of time. I want to win championships. I want to break records,” she said.
Reese will make her first WNBA playoff appearance today against the Washington Mystics. It’s her third year in the league and first with the Atlanta Dream following two seasons with the Chicago Sky.
“And I’m just happy to be in Atlanta. I want to do it all in Atlanta. You see the fans; they come out and support and love us, so it’s easy,” she said.
Reese Warned Teams Before Playoffs
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And that wasn’t all she had to say. Elsewhere during the interview, Reese made it clear that she was entering the playoffs ready to win.
“I gotta leave a taste in everybody’s mouth of what the playoffs are gonna look like, so it was only right for me to set the tone,” she said. “We gotta be able to do this every single night,” she added. “We can’t turn it on and off, no matter what team we play against.”
A’ja Wilson Earns Honor For Third Consecutive Year
3Evan Guerra
According to the Associated Press, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson also earned AP honors, becoming the first player to earn the publication’s Player of the Year for a third consecutive year.
“It’s big. It’s an honor for me to do it three times in a row. It’s not easy,” she said. “My counterparts in this league are really good. I don’t take it lightly because of how much talent we do have in this league.”
