Confetti, cheers and a giant “got that dawg in me” chain was how the Minnesota Lynx team and head coach Cheryl Reeve celebrated the record-breaking win Wednesday in Connecticut that makes her the winningest coach in the WNBA.
“Suddenly there was confetti, et cetera, and the best party I've ever been to. So that was really exciting. It was lit,” she said in front of her players, sending laughter amongst the team. “It was great.”
It was a fierce battle Wednesday, when the Lynx came out on top with an 86-80 win over the Connecticut Sun. It marked Reeve's 380th win.
Days later and back in Minnesota, she reflected on the accomplishment to a crowd of her team, assistant coaches and other Lynx staff. Here are three key takeaways.
It wasn’t always easy, but she never gave up the ‘W’
Her career at the Lynx dates back over 15 years, but Reeve’s time as a coach in the WNBA goes back 25 years.
Before landing a head coach position, she was an assistant coach for other franchises for about 10 years, including the Charlotte Sting, Cleveland Rockers and Detroit Shock — all teams that she saw fold.
Regardless of the challenges at the beginning, including being with Cleveland when they folded. She said it tested their conviction, but being a part of the league is who she was then and is still to this day.
“I remember just vividly going, ‘I'm a WNBA person, and if this thing goes down, I'm going down with it, and I'm going to stick it out,” she said. “26 years later, it's become what I always thought it could be, if the men that were running it would see it the right way.”
She says changing societal norms have reshaped the league’s leadership, goals and public acceptance.
“We had to push, pull, drag, kick, all the things. It doesn't matter. The fight's been worth it,” she said.
The fight culminated in a new collective bargaining agreement reached before the 2026 season that fundamentally reshaped the financial landscape for players, raising maximum salaries to $1.4 million.
But for Reeve, the growth of the league has offered her something much more personal.
“I found me, and I found my voice in the WNBA, and this is incredibly special for me today here, and I appreciate all of you,” she said.
Minnesota is home for Reeve
Over her years as an assistant coach in the WNBA, she did not live in the markets the teams were in. She stayed in her home state of New Jersey and would come to town for six months, then go home.
She told reporters Friday that she was holding out on putting down any further roots until she landed a head coach opportunity.
“I sort of developed this feeling that when I got my opportunity, I wanted to make the market my home because I felt like that's the way that I could best connect and identify with the fan base and grow the fan base,” Reeve said. “It was obviously a terrific decision.”
Fans agree. Long-time season ticket holder Isetta Pierre became a Lynx fan when Maya Moore was on the team.
“There’s been ups and downs with Cheryl, but my goodness, she's a genius, right?” Pierre said at Monday's game against the Connecticut Sun. “She has had so many different teams, different iterations of the Lynx teams, and she has still been able to help them win. So, yes, she deserves all her flowers, and I'm very happy for her.”
Another fan who has joined the Lynx bandwagon in recent years is Jenny Bordon. She said Minnesota is lucky to have Reeve.
“The players love her, and I wish I knew how she did that, you know? Like to really get the best from people and for them to really want to play for you,” Bordon said. “I don't know, she pulls it out of them. I don't know how she does it, but she's amazing.”
Celebrating with her players and staff is the cherry on top
Lynx guard Kayla McBride was quick to acknowledge Reeve was not one to hold out for accomplishments like this.
“She doesn't want to talk about it. We don't talk about it,” McBride said Monday after the Lynx lost to the Connecticut Sun, denying Reeve her second chance at beating the record after tying the record against the Wings the week before.
“She likes to win, and she's on us for all the other reasons besides, you know, breaking records and things like that,” McBride said.
McBride joined Reeve and the Lynx in 2021. Before the 2026 season, she signed a two-year contract.
Reeve said she understood the significance of veterans like McBride and Courtney Williams choosing to stay with the Lynx during a free-agency period that offered the highest salaries in league history.
By having core Lynx veterans back, they created a foundation to create their success so far this season. Currently, the team is 16-6.
“People think that when you have the success of championships and wins, et cetera, that there's not those trials and tribulations along the way,” Reeve said. “That's what makes days like today so special. That we're celebrating something of this magnitude, but I know what went into it day by day, it's never as easy as these players make it look.
“I just appreciate being on the journey with these guys and sharing this special moment with all the special people here today.”
