Angel Reese just added another major milestone to her WNBA career.

The Atlanta Dream forward has been named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in franchise history to earn the honor. The WNBA reports that Reese received 46 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. WNBA

And the way she found out made the moment even sweeter.

During a team meeting, Reese’s mom walked into the room carrying the trophy, surprising her daughter in front of her teammates. The family moment gave Reese a chance to celebrate one of the biggest honors of her career with the person who has been there from the beginning.

The award caps a historic first season with Atlanta.

 

View on Threads

 

The WNBA reports that Reese led the league with 521 total rebounds, setting a new single-season record and becoming the first player in league history to reach 500 rebounds in one season. She also set the WNBA single-season record with 206 offensive rebounds and averaged a league-best 12.1 rebounds per game.

Reese also averaged a career-high 1.8 steals per game, ranking third in the league, while recording 77 total steals. Her presence helped Atlanta finish third in the WNBA in defensive rating and hold opponents to a league-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.

Her dominance on the glass extended beyond the season totals. The Atlanta Dream reports that Reese also set a WNBA single-game record with 26 rebounds and finished the regular season with a record 32 double-doubles.

The honor comes in Reese’s third WNBA season and her first with the Dream. She also earned her third consecutive All-Star selection and helped Atlanta finish the regular season 30-14.

After receiving the award, Reese made sure to share the credit with her teammates, saying she wanted Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard to sign the trophy because she felt they deserved recognition for the defense Atlanta built together.

From a record-setting season to becoming the first Dream player to bring home Defensive Player of the Year, Reese’s first year in Atlanta has already made franchise history.

And having her mom there to hand her the trophy made the moment even better.

Congratulations, Angel!