2026 WNBA awards winners: Valkyries' Janelle Salaün named Sixth Player of the Year, Angel Reese wins DPOY — SkimNews
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- Janelle Salaün (Golden State Valkyries) became the first player in WNBA history to win Sixth Player of the Year unanimously, setting single-season bench records for points (509), 3-pointers (93), and double-digit scoring games (27).
- Angel Reese (Atlanta Dream) earned Defensive Player of the Year for the first time; the Dream finished third in defensive rating (103.5), opponents' true shooting percentage was 6.4% worse with Reese on the floor, and she led the league in defensive win shares (3.4).
- Olivia Miles (Minnesota Lynx) won unanimous Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.8 points and 6 assists per game while breaking Caitlin Clark's rookie points record of 790.
- Jessica Shepard (Dallas Wings) took Most Improved Player after averaging 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, leading the league with six triple-doubles and recording just the second 20-20-10 game in WNBA history.
- Cheryl Reeve (Lynx) won Coach of the Year for a record fifth time, becoming the first coach in major American professional sports to receive the honor five times.
- The MVP, All-WNBA, All-Defensive, All-Rookie, Executive of the Year, and Sportsmanship awards have not yet been announced.
Why it matters: Minnesota's historic regular season under Reeve ended with an unprecedented first-round upset loss to the No. 8 seed Liberty, even as she set a major-sports coaching record with her fifth COY. Salaün's unanimous nod creates a new standard for bench impact, while Reese's DPOY completes a deep 2026 awards cycle still missing MVP.
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