After Team USA won the 2026 FIBA World Cup, there was hope in the camp and among the fans that the biggest individual awards from the tournament were going to land in the Americans’ camp. Breanna Stewart won the tournament MVP, but Angel Reese, who was leading the Best Defensive Player race, lost to France’s Gabby Williams.
“GABBY WILLIAMS IS THE FIBA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER. 💪 #FIBAWWC,” the official Instagram post read despite Reese’s eyebrow-raising numbers for the award.
Reese was among the leading names to win the award from the start of the tournament. But she truly declared herself on the stage after filling the stat sheet against Italy. She posted 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks in just 15 minutes. She had been putting up defensive numbers despite coming off the bench in all of the games.
Her biggest all-around performance came against Hungary in the quarterfinal. While the Americans trounced Hungary by 52 points in a 108-56 win, Reese put up 9 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block in 17:52. After the game, Reese was very open about what she was trying to give her team with her presence.
“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 after the game.
In light of all these performances, it was clear that Reese’s bid was backed by a heavy fan vote, which ultimately still saw her not win the award, as per the Instagram post.
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. But that was not it. The American star went further and boldly declared her candidacy for the award.
“I know I’m getting Defensive Player of the Year for a reason,” Reese added after winning over Hungary. “And I’m just going to continue to prove that.”
It wasn’t just Reese herself; fans across social media vouched for her candidacy. In the poll conducted by FIBA, Reese was by far the most favored defensive player among fans. She received 58% of the total fan votes to win the award. Rhyne Howard was behind her with 25%. Gabby Williams had received only 4% of the votes.
After Williams was named the Best Defensive Player of the World Cup, fans protested against the decision.
mo”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.
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.
It’s all done now. Angel Reese and her teammates didn’t have personal glory at the top of their list. 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.