Cheryl Reeve becomes WNBA’s all-time winningest coach as Lynx snap brief, and rare, losing streak
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- Cheryl Reeve became the WNBA’s all-time winningest coach Wednesday, earning her 380th victory as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 86-80.
- Since taking over in 2010, Reeve has won four WNBA titles in Minnesota. She has also been named coach of the year four times and has been inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.
Cheryl Reeve is relieved.
The longtime Minnesota Lynx coach tied WNBA legend Mike Thibault for most career wins on June 28. The two remained deadlocked, with the league-leading Lynx losing two straight games for the first time all season.
But the losing streak is over — and the WNBA has a new all-time winningest coach. Minnesota defeated the Connecticut Sun 86-80 on Wednesday night for Reeve’s historic 380th career victory.
“I am so glad this is over,” Reeve, 59, said during a postgame interview on USA Network.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 24 points for the Sparks in their victory over Indiana, ending a three-game losing streak.
Reeve was a four-year starter at La Salle from 1984-1988 and ranks fifth in career assists (420) for the Explorers. After serving as an assistant coach at her alma mater and George Washington, Reeve became head coach at Indiana State, going 63-72 over five seasons with winning records in each of the last two.
Jumping to the WNBA in 2001, Reeve was an assistant coach for the Charlotte Sting (two stints), Cleveland Rockers and Detroit Shock before becoming head coach of the Lynx in 2010. Since then, she has compiled a record of 380-196, won four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and been named the league’s coach of the year four times (2011, 2015, 2020, 2024).
Reeve has missed the postseason only twice during her time with the Lynx, and her 49 playoff wins are the most in league history. She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame last month.
“A milestone fit for the Hall of Famer,” the WNBA wrote in an X post congratulating Reeve.
The Indiana Fever issued a statement indicating they had no role in Republican lawmakers’ letter demanding the WNBA end attacks on Caitlin Clark.
While Reeve has compiled her total over 16-plus seasons, Thibault reached 379 victories over the course of 20 WNBA seasons, 10 with the Connecticut Sun (2003-2012) and 10 with the Washington Mystics (2013-2022). Currently the head coach of Belgium’s national women’s basketball team, Thibault was a three-time WNBA coach of the year and led Washington to the league title in 2019.
Reeve was head coach of the U.S. national team, with Thibault as her assistant coach, when it won gold at the 2022 World Cup in Australia and the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thibault’s son, former Mystics coach Eric Thibault, has been on Reeve’s staff in Minnesota as associatehead coach the past two seasons.
“Learned a lot from Mike through the years,” Reeve said after Wednesday’s game. “Tremendous coach and just so much respect that we’ve had for each other through the years. I know he’s happy for me. And somebody’s going to pass me and I’ll be happy for them too.”
More than half of the WNBA’s 180 players didn’t submit their ballots for All-Star starters ahead of this month’s game in Chicago, including many Sparks.
Reeve was correct about Thibault’s feelings.
“Congrats, Cheryl, so much from all the Thibault family,” Thibault said in a video posted on X by the Lynx. “If anyone was going to break my record, I most wanted it to be you. Our friendship means a lot, but the job you’ve done as a coach and mentor in this league is appreciated by so many people. And I couldn’t be more proud to have you as a friend.”
Toronto’s Sandy Brondello is the closest active coach to Reeve’s mark. She ranks sixth all-time with 280 wins.
