The Golden State Valkyries are too good for their own good. That might be the ultimate summary of why Gabby Williams is going to lose the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award, despite being the single most dominant defensive force in the league this season.
Williams joined the Valkyries and instantly became a nightmare for opposing guards. Her combination of speed, length, and physical strength allows her to shut down perimeter stars and rotate into the paint with ease. She leads the league in steals, creates turnovers that fuel Golden State’s high-octane transition game, and can defend virtually anyone. By every logical measure, she is the best defender in the league, anchoring a Valkyries team that has put together the greatest defensive season in WNBA history relative to the league average.
So why isn’t she the overwhelming favorite for the award?
The answer lies in how voters view team defense. This year, the media consensus has largely crowned Angel Reese of the Atlanta Dream as the defensive player of the year. Reese is an incredible athlete with elite rebounding and a high motor, and she has a strong case. But the main argument for Reese is that the Dream fall apart defensively when she is off the court.
When Williams sits down, the Valkyries’ defense doesn’t collapse because they have other elite defenders to step up. When Reese sits, the Dream struggle to stop anyone. Voters love that kind of isolated impact, mistaking a team’s overall weakness for a player’s individual superiority.
Furthermore, the raw numbers voters point to for Reese—like rebounding and steal totals—look great on a box score, but they don’t tell the whole story. Williams’ impact is felt in the low scoring totals of the opponents she directly guards, the passing lanes she cuts off, and the sheer chaos she creates. Playing on a historically great team like the Valkyries means her individual defensive box score won’t pop in the same way Reese’s does on a weaker team.
It is a frustrating reality of sports awards: being on the best team often hides your individual brilliance, while being on a mediocre team can make a good player look like a savior. Williams is the ultimate defensive linchpin, and she deserves the trophy. But unless the voters start looking at actual on-court impact rather than simple team-versus-player stats, she will watch someone else walk away with the award.
