While the focus of women’s basketball has turned to the upcoming 2026 FIBA World Cup, Angel Reese’s recent achievements are still making noise on social media. Reese’s sensational run across both sides of the court has led to her hitting a unique milestone, prompting former ESPN reporter Cindy Brunson to make a bold prediction about the Atlanta Dream star.

On Monday, I Talk Hoops highlighted in an X post that, in an exclusive milestone, Reese became “the first player in WNBA history to record 200+ points, 150+ rebounds, 40+ assists, and 20+ steals in a single month.”

And that achievement prompted Brunson to write, “Seriously. DPOY loading…….🔥”

The Defensive Player of the Year award is given to the best individual defender in the league. So, with the playoffs just around the corner, this is a fair time to assess who could take the honor home.

Angel Reese has certainly made one of the strongest cases for the award. Besides her historic achievement, she is currently leading the league in rebounds with 12.4 per game, including 7.4 on the defensive end. She also sits in the top three for steals per game with 1.8. Her individual brilliance has also helped make the Atlanta Dream one of the strongest WNBA teams.

The Dream sits at No. 4 in the WNBA standings with 26 wins and 14 losses. They limit their opponents to just 85.7 points per game, and for that, the credit goes to Rhyne Howard, Jordin Canada, and Reese. While Reese sits third in the league in steals per game, Howard leads the league with 2.4, and Canada is second with 1.9. And that’s exactly why Reese is sure the DPOY honors will land in Atlanta.

“I think the Defensive Player of the Year is in Atlanta,” Angel Reese said during postgame media availability after the Dream’s win over the Phoenix Mercury on August 22. “One through three. One of us. So, you can check the stats, too.”

Even though Reese has made a strong case for DPOY, the competition is far from easy, with several other players putting together strong campaigns on the defensive end.

The Golden State Valkyries have the best defensive rating (99.8), making Gabby Williams an obvious candidate. The All-Star has been one of the biggest reasons behind the Valkyries’ success on both ends of the floor. However, Kiah Stokes also deserves recognition, as her rim protection has played an equally important role in making Golden State one of the league’s best defensive teams.

Then there is A’ja Wilson, who is almost always part of the DPOY conversation. The Las Vegas Aces star already has three DPOY awards to her name and continues to lead the league in blocks, making her difficult to overlook once again.

Shakira Austin is another name that deserves to be in the mix after serving as an important anchor for the Washington Mystics’ strong defense. At the Minnesota Lynx, Nia Coffey and Natasha Howard also made their cases earlier in the season, but with Napheesa Collier back and Coffey moving to the bench, Howard could have the stronger case as a defensive stalwart for a Lynx team that remains among the league’s best defensive units.

So, while Angel Reese has given herself a legitimate chance to bring the award to Atlanta, the race is still wide open. For now, though, the Dream star has something else on her mind.

Reese is now focusing on the FIBA World Cup, where she will team up with her arch-rival Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston, and other stars on Team USA. So after making history in August and putting herself in the DPOY conversation, Angel Reese will look to carry that same energy onto the international stage.