The Chicago Sky Daily Defensive Player of the Year Award will highlight the most outstanding defender from the Sky's 2024 campaign.
Chicago finished the 2024 WNBA season with a defensive rating of 103.5, which put them in eighth place in the WNBA. The rookie duo of center Kamilla Cardoso and forward Angel Reese combined for 13 defensive rebounds per game as they added size, strength and a knack for defense since the Sky first selected them in last year's draft.
The Sky's stellar defenders have had some recognition on the national stage in the past.
Sky center Elizabeth Williams was a member of the All-Defensive Second Team in 2023. A Sky player has not won the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year since center Sylvia Fowles in 2013. Fowles, an 11-time All-Defensive selection and two-time block champion, won the award twice in a Sky uniform. Former Sky forward Candace Parker earned the honors in 2020, one year before she won a championship with her hometown squad.
Winner: Angel Reese
Reese proved to be one of the league's best rebounding talents during her All-Star rookie season.
She ended the 2024 season with an average of 8.1 defensive rebounds per game, which put her in second place in the WNBA. Her expert positioning, instincts and smarts on defense led to 1.3 steals per contest. She continued her defensive excellence from her time at LSU, where she earned two SEC All-Defensive selections and averaged 8.4 defensive boards per game.
Reese played a pivotal role in shaping the Sky into one of the league's top rebounding teams. They made a massive jump from the season before, where they placed ninth in the WNBA with an average of just over 33 a game.
Runners-Up: Kamilla Cardoso
Cardoso did a solid job at anchoring the paint and deterring defenders from scoring on the inside last season.
The Brazilian phenom averaged 4.9 defensive rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last season. She tied with Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier at about fifth place in the WNBA in blocks per game. She did well when patrolling the paint and deflecting drives and post-up shots when needed. The 6-foot-7 big racked up as many as five blocks on two occasions, once against the Las Vegas Aces and again against the Los Angeles Sparks. Cardoso will be an important piece in rebuilding the Sky's defense and holding off some of the league's best big options in the future.