Alpha Diallo wins EuroLeague Best Defender award as Monaco’s defensive anchor is rewarded

23/04/202614:12

The AS Monaco forward has been named the 2025-26 EuroLeague Best Defender after a dominant all-around season on the defensive end

As officially announced by EuroLeague, Alpha Diallo has won the 2025-26 Best Defender Trophy, the award voted on by the league’s head coaches. For the AS Monaco forward, it is his first time winning the honor after finishing third in last season’s voting.

The award highlights Diallo’s all-court defensive value. EuroLeague emphasized his ability to switch across positions, combine speed, strength and instincts, and serve as the foundation of Monaco’s aggressive defensive schemes. He finished the regular season with 1.34 steals per game, the second-best mark in the league, while starting all 38 regular-season games.

Beyond defense, Diallo also averaged 11.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.5 blocks, underlining his two-way importance throughout the season. He finished ahead of Nicolò Melli, Thomas Walkup, Walter Tavares and Jerian Grant in the final voting.