The 2026 WNBA regular season has officially ended, and so has the opportunity for players to make their cases for the individual awards. While the postseason and how deep a team goes do play a role, for now Angel Reese and Gabby Williams are among the top contenders for Defensive Player of the Year. The same duo were among the favorites to win Best Defensive Player at the FIBA World Cup last month. Now, that rivalry has carried over to the WNBA.

At the World Cup, despite Team USA beating France, it was Gabby Williams who got the Best Defensive Player nod. However, Reese confidently expressed that she deserved the WNBA’s DPOY.

“I know I’m getting Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. And I’m just going to continue to prove that,” Reese told reporters after USA’s 108-56 win against Hungary. However, if Sue Bird had a say, the Atlanta Dream star’s confidence may not matter.

“I think right now it’s a two-person race in all reality. I think it’s between Gabby Williams and Angel Reese. I might lean a little towards Gabby,” Bird said on the Bird’s Eye View podcast.

“There’s just something about Gabby on the court and the way she plays defense and the amount of people she can guard. The fact that her team is the number one defensive team, that might be what tips the scale the most for me.”

Williams has the best defensive rating among the top three DPOY candidates this season. She has posted a defensive rating of 99.5 through this season. Reese is behind her with 100.0, and Wilson is way behind her with 101.1. Moreover, being the best defender on the best defensive team in the league is always a bonus. However, Bird clarified that even if Angel Reese won the award, she wouldn’t have an issue with it.

“But you can’t take away anything from Angel Ree and her impact,” the WNBA legend added. “Whether she’s guarding post players, whether she’s switching out on guards, I mean, we saw it at the World Cup. This is a player that, you know, can really change the trajectory of a game on the defensive end.”

There are a few stats that might not hurt Williams’ case but give Reese an edge over the Valkyries star. Williams is averaging the fewest minutes (25.1) of her WNBA career since the 2020 WNBA season. Reese, on the other hand, is averaging more minutes (31.0) and has other better defensive numbers. 

Williams is averaging 3.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.2 blocks in 39 games. Reese’s numbers are wildly bigger than the French national WNBA star. The Dream star leads the league with 12.1 rebounds, ranks third in steals (1.8), and averages 0.7 blocks in 43 games.

Williams is the best defender on the best defensive team in the league, but Reese’s defensive numbers directly impact her team’s numbers in real time. While Reese has had an excellent season on the scoring end, her primary impact comes through rebounding and forcing turnovers. 

Moreover, when Reese is on the court, her impact is significant. She leads the WNBA in defending dribble hand-offs (310). She has also defended 850 pick-and-rolls. Here is something better: when Reese is on the court, opponents shoot 55.8% at the rim. The shooting gets easier for the opposing team (61.8) when she is off the floor.

When the WNBA season resumed following the 2026 World Cup, the Dream star doubled down.

“We have three players that are in the top of the steals, (Rhyne Howard), me, and Jordin Canada. And that has never been done in WNBA history. When I said the Defensive Player of the Year is in Atlanta? I meant what I said,” she told Malika Andrews on ESPN. 

While the Valkyries reign at the top with the league’s best defensive rating, Atlanta takes second place. After 44 games in the season, both teams are proven elites on both ends. Perhaps it will be their individual numbers that will sway the voters to vote in their favor.