The Minnesota Lynx beat the Connecticut Sun 86-80 on Wednesday night, and in the process Cheryl Reeve became the winningest head coach in WNBA regular-season history. Her 380th career win pushed her past Mike Thibault’s 379. It’s a massive milestone for someone who has been running the show in Minnesota since 2010.
But if you were waiting for Reeve to pat herself on the back, you’d be waiting a while.
“I appreciate how much it meant to the players to celebrate the moment,” Reeve said after the game. “It’s not lost on me how important it is. So many players in that locker room, on the staff, just talking with Chuck or a trainer, so many people that have been on this journey with me for so long, and even the new ones, just to share with them was incredibly meaningful. It’s a moment in time, but to do it with people you really care about and who will give anything for the team to be successful, I have a great appreciation for all of them.”
That’s vintage Reeve. Deflect the spotlight. Give it to everyone else.
The win pushed Minnesota to 16-6 on the season, good enough for the best record in the league. They’re now a half-game ahead of both the Las Vegas Aces and the Golden State Valkyries. And here’s the thing: the Lynx have the WNBA’s best net rating at 11.8. That’s wild when you consider they’re doing it without Napheesa Collier, last year’s MVP runner-up, who’s still recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles.
How the Lynx got it done against Connecticut
Kayla McBride led the way with 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting, plus four rebounds, four assists and two steals. Natasha Howard put up 12 points and 10 rebounds. Courtney Williams and Dorka Juhasz each added 12 points. Rookie Olivia Miles, the No. 2 overall pick and a first-time All-Star, missed her second straight game with a calf strain.
The win didn’t come easy. Minnesota had dropped two in a row to New York and Connecticut, which delayed Reeve’s record-breaking night. Against the Sun, the Lynx trailed by five going into the fourth quarter. Then they outscored Connecticut 26-15 in the final period and walked away with the win.
Reeve’s résumé is absurd and it keeps growing
Since taking over the Lynx in 2010, Reeve has won four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and four Coach of the Year awards. She already held the league’s all-time postseason wins record. Last September, she became the WNBA’s all-time leader in combined regular-season and playoff victories with her 414th career win.
She was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27. She’s just the second WNBA coach to get that honor. She also led Team USA to the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. And she’s still the Lynx’s president of basketball operations and general manager, making her the last dual coach-GM standing in the league.
Not bad for a night’s work.
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