Angel Reese thought that she had done enough. Enough to get her the Defensive Player of the Year award. And fans agreed with her too. But when FIBA finally revealed the winner, the name on the award wasn’t Reese’s.
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“GABBY WILLIAMS IS THE FIBA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER. 💪 #FIBAWWC,” the official Instagram post read, handing the award to France’s Gabby Williams.
This might come as a surprise to Reese, given that right after the Hungary win, she mentioned distinctly that, “I know I’m getting Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. And I’m just going to continue to prove that.”
Her confidence was not out of the blue. She had the numbers backing her up. Through six games, Reese averaged 7.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and a team-high 0.8 blocks. Despite coming off the bench, she was Team USA’s best defensive player, and a lot of her defensive work was not even available on the stat sheet.
Against Italy, she posted 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in just 15 minutes. But her biggest all-around performance came against Hungary. In a 108-56 quarterfinal win, Reese recorded 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block in 17:52.
After that game, she even went on to explain what she wanted to bring ever time she stepped on the court.
“Honestly, the mindset I bring to every game: be able to come out there, get the punches, get rebounds, get blocks, get steals,” she said.
It wasn’t just Reese herself; fans across social media vouched for her candidacy. FIBA’s fan poll had her comfortably ahead of the field, with 58% of the votes compared with 25% for Rhyne Howard and just 4% for Williams. But here is the catch. The poll was only for fans and was never the official method of deciding the award. And it went to Williams. Something that didn’t sit well with the fans.
“I saw Angel Reese come up with pivotal defensive plays against France even in situations that would be a mismatch for other players,” a fan wrote on X.
While some fans were entirely on Reese’s side, there were also those who acknowledged Williams’ starting position merit. Still, the conversation was about impact.
“Shoutout to Gabby Williams, but I don’t think she had anywhere near the same level of defensive impact on this game or the tournament as AR,” a comment read.
Reese was a menace on the defensive end, and she brought the same energy in the gold medal game on Sunday. Her lockdown defense against Pauline Astier in the closing seconds of the second quarter amplified her candidacy. For some fans, it was a sympathy win for Williams.
“Good, she can use that sympathy trophy to wipe those tears. Angel Reese is the defensive player,” another fan commented.
Nevertheless, the award is now in Williams’ name. Angel Reese and her teammates didn’t have personal glory at the top of their list, but they wanted to win gold, and they won. Reese is more than happy to win (a 5th consecutive) gold for her country and her first one on the international stage.
She will have another chance to win a similar award, as Reese is one of the leading candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year award in the WNBA. She is averaging 16.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. She leads the league in rebounds and ranks third in steals. For now, the spotlight shines at least for this award on Williams.
Why Gabby Williams got the award
Williams might not have been the favorite to win the award, but her numbers certainly backed her candidacy. In six games, the French star averaged 18.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks. Williams’ numbers are elite in every sense.
FIBA itself talked about her ball pressure and defensive assignments. She wasn’t just making plays when the chance came; she was creating problems possession after possession. Her semifinal against Germany was the perfect example.
Williams finished with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals as France reached its first World Cup final. That two-way production also earned her a place on the FIBA Women’s World Cup All-Star Five. And there was some history here.
Williams had already won Best Defensive Player at the 2024 Paris Olympics, making this her second consecutive major international defensive honor. She has also developed a similar reputation in the WNBA. She led the league in steals in 2025 and earned All-Defensive First Team honors.
France ultimately fell to Team USA 97-79 in the gold medal game, but Williams still made life difficult for the American backcourt. For Williams, though, the tournament was about more than an individual award.
“Of course we’re disappointed right now, but I think we’re showing little by little, France is a basketball country,” Williams said. “That was my goal when I joined this team, was to change the culture. Obviously we have higher expectations, but we’ll get there.”
She might not have walked away with gold, but she sure made a mark.