Angel Reese has completely dominated the Defensive Player of the Year conversation this season, anchoring Atlanta’s frontcourt while dropping an impressive 16.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals a night.
Because of those solid numbers, fans took it for granted that her name would headline ESPN’s “Chiney Today” panel. Instead, analyst Sabreena Merchant snubbed Reese, and the subtle smirk on her face while picking Sonia Citron set social media on fire.
“So this is fun because my winner is not on your list. My winner is Sonia Citron from the Washington Mystics. And I’m gonna tell you, okay. Of the players who have defended at least 100 shots against fellow All-Stars this season, Sonia Citron holds them to a lower effective field goal percentage than anybody else. She also holds them to a lower expected shot quality than anybody else. And that basically means that you’ve got a player whose job it is to guard the best player on the opposing team, and she just shuts their water off. When Citron is guarding Kelsey Mitchell, Mitchell shot one of seven. When Citron is guarding Caitlin Clark, one of three.”
Chiney Ogwumike was also shocked on-camera. Her reaction mirrored viewers’ surprise when Merchant picked Citron over the three-time WNBA All-Star. Angel Reese fans on X vented their fury over Merchant’s controversial selection without wasting any time.
‘Same idiot who voted Mack for all-star just to stop Angel from getting it. That new commissioner gonna have y’all jobless,” one user wrote.
More reactions followed.
How Angel Reese’s production dominates conversation
Angel Reese built a massive case by setting three historic benchmarks. She became the first WNBA player to record 500 rebounds in a single season, while breaking the all-time records for most rebounds in a single game (26) and most double-doubles in a season (31). The Atlanta Dream forward also led the entire league with 3.27 defensive win shares this season, ending A’ja Wilson’s multi-year run at the top of that leaderboard.
Merchant’s argument for Sonia Citron highlights a different type of impact. The Washington Mystics guard operates as a lockdown perimeter defender who also carries offensive load, averaging 16.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals.
But the majority of the basketball community remains unconvinced that perimeter analytics outweigh Angel Reese’s historic interior production.
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Edited by Sami Haider
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