3 Dream Players Make the 2026 WNBA All-Defensive Teams and Finished 1-2-3 in Steals
Reese and Howard make the First Team, Canada the Second, and six of the ten honorees meet in the WNBA Finals starting Saturday.
Photo: WNBA.com. Official Rhyne Howard headshot, Atlanta Dream.
Angel Reese and Rhyne Howard made the 2026 WNBA All-Defensive First Team on Thursday, and Jordin Canada made the Second Team. The three Dream teammates finished as the league's top three in steals per game, Howard at 2.3, Canada at 1.9 and Reese at 1.8, and the team says no set of teammates had ever done that before.
The rest of the First Team is Gabby Williams of the Valkyries, A'ja Wilson of the Aces and Shakira Austin of the Mystics. Veronica Burton, Sonia Citron, Breanna Stewart and Kiah Stokes join Canada on the Second Team. Six of the ten play in the WNBA Finals, three for Atlanta and three for Golden State, and Game 1 tips Saturday.
Three sets of hands on one floor
Atlanta's defense lives in the passing lanes. Reese, Howard and Canada combined for 6.0 steals a game, and the Dream led the league in points off turnovers at 18.1 per game.
Atlanta also allowed the fewest opponent fast-break points in the league, 6.9 per game.
Canada's 1.9 steals ranked second in the league. Howard's 39 blocks ranked 15th in the league. She also set the Dream's single-season steals record, and this is her first First Team after making the Second Team in 2025.
Reese wins Defensive Player of the Year
Reese was named Defensive Player of the Year with 46 of 74 votes, ahead of Williams at 20 and Wilson at four. She is the first player in Dream history to win it, and Thursday's honor is her first All-Defensive team of any kind.
Her 32 blocks tied for 19th in the league. She averaged 7.3 defensive rebounds. Atlanta allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with her on the floor, the biggest on/off swing among the Dream's rotation players, and she led the league in defensive win shares at 3.4. Howard was third at 3.2 and Canada ninth at 2.6.
Golden State brings the best defense in the league
The Valkyries had the league's best defensive rating at 99.3. Atlanta's was 103.5. Williams made the First Team for the second straight year, Burton made the Second Team for the second straight year, and Stokes made the Second Team in her 11th season, 11 years after she first did it as a rookie in 2015.
Williams finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. She averaged 1.6 steals, the same number as her career mark.
The rest of the list
Wilson made the First Team. The MVP averaged 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals, and the Aces say she led the league in both total blocks and blocks per game. She finished third in the Defensive Player of the Year race.
Austin and Citron both made an All-Defensive team for the first time, and Washington's defense ranked third in the league at 104.0. Austin finished second in the Most Improved Player voting. Stewart's Second Team nod is the eighth All-Defensive selection of her career.
Six of the ten honorees meet in the WNBA Finals, which start Saturday.
Sources
- Atlanta Dream: Atlanta Dream Trio Earns 2026 WNBA All-Defensive Team Honors. Oct. 15, 2026. Reese and Howard First Team, Canada Second Team. First three teammates to finish top three in steals per game (Howard 2.3, Canada 1.9, Reese 1.8). 6.0 combined steals. Defensive win shares (Reese 3.4 first, Howard 3.2 third, Canada 2.6 ninth). 103.5 defensive rating. 18.1 points off turnovers. 6.9 opponent fast-break points. Reese 32 blocks, 7.9 points per 100 on/off. Howard 39 blocks, franchise steals record, a Second Team pick the year before. Canada two previous First Team selections. Second time two Dream players on the First Team.
- WNBA.com: Angel Reese Wins 2026 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Reese 46 of 74 votes, Williams 20, Wilson 4.
- SB Nation: WNBA All-Defense teams announced. Noa Dalzell, Oct. 15, 2026. Full First and Second Teams. Six Finals players. Valkyries 99.3, Dream 103.5 and Mystics 104 defensive ratings. Williams second straight First Team. Burton second straight Second Team. Austin and Citron first selections. Finals tip Saturday.
- Bleacher Report: Angel Reese, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart Headline 2026 WNBA All-Defensive Teams. Paul Kasabian, Oct. 15, 2026. Reese 7.3 defensive rebounds. 1.9 blocks and 1.4 steals, third in DPOY. Williams 1.6 steals. Austin second in Most Improved Player. Stewart eight All-Defensive selections. Stokes Second Team in 2015 and again in year 11.
- Las Vegas Aces on X. Wilson led the league in total blocks and blocks per game.
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