Angel Reese named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year by Associated Press

NEW YORK — Angel Reese made the most of her move to Atlanta during the offseason.

Reese dethroned A’ja Wilson as the Associated Press WNBA Defensive Player of the Year on Sunday. Wilson had won the award in three of the last four seasons.

Reese was third in the league in steals and had the versatility to guard most positions on defense. She also topped the league in rebounds for the third consecutive season.

The Randallstown native also was named All-WNBA second team.

The Atlanta Dream acquired Reese from the Chicago Sky in April for a pair of first-round draft picks.

Wilson won the AP’s WNBA Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third straight year.

She received 15 of the 17 first-place votes from a national media panel. She topped Olivia Miles of Minnesota, as well as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, who all had stellar seasons.

“It’s big. It’s an honor for me to do it three times in a row. It’s not easy,” Wilson said in a phone interview. “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.”

It’s the fourth time that Wilson has won the AP award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for most since the awards were first given in 2016.

“That’s got a nice ring to it,” Wilson said. “That’s pretty cool.”

The AP voting is done by a 17-member panel that votes on the power poll each week. It’s the 11th year of the awards.

The WNBA will announce its postseason awards over the course of the playoffs, which began Sunday. Wilson is a huge favorite to win the WNBA MVP for the third straight season.

Wilson, Clark, Miles and Mitchell headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by New York’s Stewart. Reese was on the second team along with teammate Rhyne Howard, Dallas’ Paige Bueckers, Las Vegas’ Jackie Young and Golden State’s Gabby Williams.