Reese becomes first player in franchise history to earn AP Defensive Player of the Year; Reese and Howard become first Dream teammates named to an AP All Team in the same season 

ATLANTA (September 27, 2026) — Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese has been named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, while Reese and guard Rhyne Howard were each selected to the All-AP Second Team, the Associated Press announced today. 

Reese becomes the first player in Atlanta Dream history to earn AP Defensive Player of the Year honors. She and Howard are also the first pair of Dream teammates to be named to an AP All Team in the same season. 

Reese delivered a historic season in her first year with Atlanta, establishing herself as one of the league’s most dominant players on the glass and a disruptive presence defensively. She became the first player in WNBA history to record 500 rebounds in a single season and set league single-season records for total rebounds and offensive rebounds. Reese also set the WNBA single-season record with 32 double-doubles and recorded a WNBA-record 26 rebounds in a single game. She finished the regular season averaging a league-best 12.3 rebounds per game to earn WNBA Peak Performer honors. 

Her season also included a career-high six steals, multiple franchise rebounding records and a third consecutive WNBA All-Star selection. Reese closed the regular season by earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in three consecutive weeks, becoming the first player in Dream history to accomplish the feat. 

Howard earns All-AP Second Team recognition following one of the most accomplished seasons of her career. The 2026 WNBA All-Star tied the WNBA single-season record with 100 steals and finished the year as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders. She also set a WNBA single-season record for made three-pointers during the season and finished with 134 threes. 

Howard continued to climb the league and franchise record books throughout the year, becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to record 3,000 career points, 600 assists and 300 steals. She also became the youngest player in league history to reach 500 career three-pointers and set the Dream single-season steals record with her 90th steal of the year. 

Together, Reese and Howard helped lead Atlanta back to the postseason for a fourth consecutive season while anchoring a Dream team that established itself among the WNBA’s top defensive groups. 

The Dream begin the 2026 WNBA Playoffs against the Washington Mystics on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET, with Game 1 of the First Round airing nationally on Prime Video. 

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About the Atlanta Dream     
Established in 2008, the Atlanta Dream is the Southeast’s only WNBA franchise, playing its home games at Gateway Center Arena @ College Park. This year the Dream played six home games at State Farm Arena, continuing the organization’s commitment to elevating the game on the biggest stages. Dream games are telecast locally on Atlanta News First (WANF-TV). Since 2009, the Dream has produced 13 WNBA All-Stars, earned 12 playoff bids and made three WNBA finals appearances. For more information about the Dream, visit atlantadream.com and follow @AtlantaDream on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.