Maloney reaffirms Reese pick in his full awards ballot
Jack MaloneyCBS Sports journalist and official awards voter
Maloney explains why he chose Reese on his official ballot.
Responding to
Angel Reese deserved the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
“Ultimately, I went with Reese.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Did Angel Reese deserve the 2026 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award?
The WNBA named Angel Reese its 2026 Defensive Player of the Year on October 1. She received 46 of 74 votes, ahead of Gabby Williams with 20 and A'ja Wilson with four. Voters defend Reese's impact on Atlanta's defense. Sue Bird and Lindsay Gibbs favor Williams while calling Reese deserving. Dan Zaksheske criticizes the result, and Andrew Jerell Jones argues for a shared Reese and Wilson award.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Maloney explains his official ballot in a separate article after the September 25 panel. This reaffirms the same vote.
Before the quotation
Maloney publishes his full ballot after the September 25 panel.
After the quotation
He weighs Wilson and Williams, then favors Reese's versatility, rebounding and team impact.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Maloney reaffirms the same supporting vote in a separate dated article.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Angel Reese, WNBA, Gabby Williams, A'ja Wilson
More from this case
Read the full caseZaksheske favors Wilson and criticizes Reese's voting margin
“the best defender in the WNBA as far as I'm concerned”Read statement
Jones calls for a shared Reese and Wilson award
“it should have been at least a #WNBA Co-DPOY for A’Ja Wilson and Angel Reese.”Read statement
Falkenheim explains his Reese vote
“I voted for Angel Reese for Defensive Player of the Year.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Maloney reaffirms Reese pick in his full awards ballot
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4450-maloney-explains-why-he-chose-reese-on-his
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Maloney reaffirms Reese pick in his full awards ballot". First published: 2026-10-02. Last updated: 2026-10-02. https://disputeindex.com/events/4450-maloney-explains-why-he-chose-reese-on-his