Rose Basketball Club forward Angel Reese was named Unrivaled's Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced in a Saturday tweet.
Reese, who led the league in total rebounds with 169, was one of three players named to the All-Unrivaled Second Team on Thursday. Her Rose teammate in guard Chelsea Gray earned a spot on the league's First Team following a stellar season that saw her carve out a role as a leader for the second-ranked squad. The Rose finished the regular season with a record of 8-6 after fighting back from a 1-4 start behind the efforts of the dynamic duo, who proved to be a reliable combo for the playoff-bound Rose.
Can Angel Reese continue to rise as a defender for the Chicago Sky?
Reese proved to be an incredible rebounder for the Chicago Sky during the 2024 WNBA season. She was named a WNBA peak performer as she averaged a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game, which would place ahead of a former Sky center in Sylvia Fowles for a league record for boards per contest in a single season. She brought down 10 or more defensive rebounds on 15 occasions during the Sky's 2024 campaign. Her 8.5 defensive rebounds in Unrivaled was enough to put her alongside forwards Napheesa Collier and Alyssa Thomas as one of the league's top defensive rebounding talents.
Reese must continue to build toward her defensive potential in a year when the Sky have two other talented defensive bigs in centers Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams.
Williams, a two-time WNBA All-Defensive Team selection and a one-time All-Star, earned an All-Defensive team selection of her own in Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball. The 6-foot-3 center can be a reliable interior defender off the bench after being a consistent shot blocker in the two years she has suited up for the Sky so far. Cardoso, who took second place in the rookie standings with 1.4 blocks per game last season, can be the interior anchor the Sky need if she can build upon the stardom she has seen in the Women's Chinese Basketball Association.
Chicago will need to continue shoring up its defense after trading for guard Ariel Atkins last month. The five-time All-Defensive selection can be effective on both sides of the floor for the Sky, but can be paired with a few more consistent defenders through next month's draft. Chicago finished last season with a defensive rating of 103.5, which put them in eighth place in the WNBA.