Cheryl Reeve

Cheryl Reeve enters her 17th season as Lynx head coach and fourth in the dual role as head coach and president of basketball operations. Since taking over as Lynx head coach, Reeve owns a career 554-364 record, the most coaching wins in franchise history. She was initially named head coach on Dec. 8, 2009, taking over for former head coach Jennifer Gillom. On Dec. 6, 2012, Reeve signed a multi-year contract extension with the club. Prior to the 2016 season, the Lynx signed Reeve to a multi-year contract extension. On November 3, 2022, Reeve signed a multi-year contract extension and was also named president of basketball operations. 

A four-time WNBA Coach of the Year (2011, 2016, 2020, 2024) and a two-time WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year (2019, 2024), Reeve is the first coach in league history to earn Coach of the Year honors four times and only the second individual to receive both Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year awards in the same season, accomplishing the feat in 2024. In recognition of her extraordinary career and contributions to the game, Reeve will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026.

Under Reeve’s tutelage, the Lynx have compiled 64 wins over the last two seasons, the most prolific two seasons in WNBA history. Finishing the 2025 season 34-10, Minnesota tied the league record for most wins in a season and registered its eighth 25-win campaign under Reeve. Since taking over in 2010, Reeve’s 52-31 postseason record ranks first in league history; and she currently stands just 16 wins away from becoming the all-time winningest coach in WNBA history.

On Sept. 14, 2025, Reeve registered her 414th win in both regular and postseason contests, becoming the all-time winningest coach for combined wins, passing Mike Thibault (413).

Reeve guided the Lynx to the first championship in franchise history in 2011, being named the WNBA Coach of the Year after leading Minnesota to a league-best 27-7 regular season record. The Lynx made a 14-game improvement from 2010, marking the second-largest single-season win increase in WNBA history. Reeve went on to lead the Lynx to WNBA championships in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

On December 8, 2021, USA Basketball named Reeve as head coach of the USA Women’s Basketball National Team, culminating in a gold medal at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and securing the longest Olympic gold medal streak (eight) in any traditional team sport. Prior to assuming the head coaching role, Reeve served as an assistant coach for multiple U.S. championship teams, contributing to gold medal victories at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games as well as the 2014 and 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cups. Across her tenure with USA Basketball, Reeve was part of a combined 74–4 overall record, including a perfect 50–0 mark in official FIBA competition.

Additionally, Reeve’s coaching résumé includes 26 years as both an assistant and a head coach at the collegiate and WNBA levels. In 2009, Reeve served as an assistant coach with the WNBA’s Detroit Shock and was promoted to the team’s general manager position just three games into the season. Hired by three-time WNBA champion head coach Bill Laimbeer, Reeve joined the Shock coaching staff in 2006 and helped the franchise reach the WNBA Finals in each of her first three years, winning WNBA titles in 2006 and 2008. During her four years with Detroit, the team held an 87-49 win/loss record and won at least 18 games each season, including 24 in 2007. Reeve also served as the Shock’s director of player personnel in 2008.

Reeve got her start in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting in 2001 when she joined Anne Donovan’s staff as an assistant coach. After posting an 8-24 record in 2000, Charlotte turned things around in Reeve’s first year, going 18-14 en route to advancing to the WNBA Finals. Reeve spent the 2002 season again in Charlotte before joining Dan Hughes’ coaching staff in Cleveland for the 2003 season. Reeve returned to the Sting in 2004 and 2005 before joining Detroit in 2006. In Reeve’s nine years as an assistant, she compiled a .543 winning percentage (163-137 W/L), including seven postseason appearances and advancing to the WNBA Finals four times.

Before joining the WNBA coaching ranks, Reeve spent 12 years coaching collegiately, including a five-year stint as head coach at Indiana State from 1995-2000. Reeve guided the Sycamores to the program’s first postseason berth in 20 years following the 1998-99 campaign.

Reeve also spent five years as an assistant coach at George Washington. During that time, the Colonials posted five 20-win seasons, captured three Atlantic 10 Conference Championships and appeared in four NCAA Tournaments. Reeve got her start in coaching at her alma mater, La Salle, as an assistant coach for two seasons.

As a player at La Salle, Reeve led the nationally ranked Explorers to a 25-5 record in 1987-1988. She was named All-Metro Atlantic Conference and was an All-Big 5 selection as a senior. Reeve holds the school record for most games started (110) and ranks fourth on La Salle’s career assist leaderboard (420).

Reeve excelled athletically and academically at La Salle, graduating with a degree in computer science/management information systems. A Rhodes Scholar nominee, Reeve received both a MAAC Scholar-Athlete Postgraduate Award and an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship in 1988. She went on to earn her master’s degree in business administration from her alma mater while also serving two years as an assistant coach for the Explorers.