Cheryl Reeve wins record fifth WNBA Coach of the Year

sportsSep 28, 202617717

Cheryl Reeve was named the WNBA Coach of the Year for a league-record fifth time after guiding the Minnesota Lynx to a WNBA-best 33-11 regular-season record and the No. 1 seed. The WNBA announced the award on Monday following Minnesota's 91-75 Game 1 playoff loss to the New York Liberty. Reeve is in her 17th season as Lynx head coach and has a 397-201 record with the franchise, four WNBA titles, and only two losing seasons. She reached this milestone despite the Lynx missing Napheesa Collier for the first half of the season. This season's 33 wins are the second-most in Reeve's coaching tenure, and the honor arrives while Minnesota faces a win-or-go-home situation early in the playoffs. The award recognizes Reeve's regular-season achievement even as the Lynx now must try to respond on the road to keep their postseason alive.

WNBA

@wnba.com

The moment Coach Reeve got the news 🥹 Cheryl Reeve is the 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year after another standout season leading Minnesota. #WNBASeason30

17012d ago

Homer J. Fong3

“Coach of the Year” would have sufficed, WNBA.

TelecomOne1

We need to win on Tuesday.

Micbemac1

Congrats, but that sponsorship is a frickin' mouthful.

Quoting this

Rodger Sherman197

i've been saying she deserves the State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year

Wes Burdine39

Nothing but respect for My Governor

Mitchell Hansen9

A cool moment for one of the best with her son Oliver handing her the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year award.

Meg Linehan

@meglinehan.com

"Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been named the 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year, the WNBA announced today." Ah yes, the SSIMSPYWNBACOTY award.

15311d ago

🎃 Dustin Gore-Killer 🔪2

Rolls right off the tongue

Cassidy Hettesheimer

@cassidyhett.bsky.social

WNBA AP Awards are out this morning: Olivia Miles — Rookie of the Year, All-WNBA 1st team, All-Rookie Team Cheryl Reeve — Coach of the Year

12612d ago

Cassidy Hettesheimer25

Perfect year for there to be an All-Rookie team tie, bc this class is awesome: Miles, Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, Sydney Taylor, Pauline Astier, Kiki Rice

Sober Tile Guy2

Now win today. New York makes me seriously nervous!

Meghan L. Hall

@itsmeghanlhall.bsky.social

The Associated Press (AP) has released their WNBA awards*. Player of the Year: A’ja Wilson DPOY: Angel Reese Rookie of the Year: Olivia Miles COTY: Cheryl Reeve 6POTY: Janelle Salaün MIP: Jessica Shepard *Note: These are not the league’s awards. Those haven’t been released.

9412d ago

Meghan L. Hall35

First Team: A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, Olivia Miles, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell Second Team: Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Jackie Young, Rhyne Howard, Gabby Williams Comeback Player of the Year: Caitlin Clark

J-Nice3

Feels like they were desperate to give CC at least 1 award for the clicks.

Quoting this

J. Samuels5

So the best defensive player in the league isn't one of the 5 best players in the league...the nba-fication of the league is almost complete. Chuck threes, score points, nothing else matters

Y - David2

I am #noticing that 6 award. Is it 6 woman of the year or 6th player? Whats the correct way we say this so I do not misgender. Should MNBA change too?

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey

@mayorjacobfrey.bsky.social

Looks like 5 is our lucky number! Congratulations to Olivia Miles for winning ROTY and Cheryl Reeve for winning COTY - her 5th award. It’s incredibly exciting to have this level of talent in Minneapolis. Looking forward to the Lynx winning their 5th championship this year! 🏆

2711d ago

MPR News

@mprnews.org

Reeve received 40 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. It’s her record fifth time winning the award. Miles, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, was the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year.

2511d ago

Quoting this

Dex Anderson68

WE LOVE OUR TRANS-INCLUSIVE COACH

Matt

@nosoupforgeorge.bsky.social

(trigger warning for Sophie Cunningham fans) Congrats to Cheryl Reeve, the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year!

2611d ago

becky hammon’s crucifix

@real-point-god.bsky.social

Every evil of theirs began in 2024 Game 5; there I came to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of Target Center. All their officials are rebels. -Cheryl Reeve and Lynx players and fans during a live in-game interview that was not aired, quoted Hosea 9:15. #WNBA

1912d ago

Pat Borzi

@borzmn.bsky.social

Unlike their fans, neither #Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve nor her players blamed the Game 1 loss on the officiating. Instead, they cited the obvious: Lack of flow on offense, and inability to move Breanna Stewart off the spots where she dominates. #Liberty @wnba.com

1812d ago

Iain Campbell Downie4

Two things can be true at the same time: poor officiating with phantom & very soft calls (even by regular season standards) going against the Lynx, plus the Lynx playing badly and not coming close to earning a win in the second half.

Pat Borzi4

FWIW, #Lynx were 18-4 on the road, breaking the @WNBA record for road victories. And #Liberty remain mindful of last year's 1st round, where they won Game 1 in Phoenix in OT, got blown out at home in Game 2, then lost the decider in Phx thanks to Alyssa Thomas's triple double.

Quoting this

Nate Pentz21

Agree with this. Refs weren't great but weren't the issue.

functional moron

@fiveburger.bsky.social

i know how adaptable liv and phee are and i know that cheryl reeve is the greatest basketball mind but i just don’t see how they can adjust for this. if it were just a couple things going wrong id feel better but every single dam is breaking at once

1412d ago

Jackie Powell

@classicjpow.bsky.social

Seven of the Liberty's 15 points have come off Lynx turnovers and in transition. The Liberty have three steals to the Lynx's 0. Cheryl Reeve takes a timeout as NYL leads 15-6.

612d ago

Deadria

@deadria101.bsky.social

Cheryl Reeve is officially the WNBA Coach of the Year. The voting break down is as follows. Now what Cheryl did was impressive, she rebuilt her team, drafted a generational rookie and still retained the number 1 seed.

712d ago

Finish Through Contact

@finishthrucontact.bsky.social

i can't imagine cheryl reeve not beating chris demarco... #wnba

812d ago

Pitch Mr. Perfect

@michaelwaterloo.bsky.social

First and second team All-WNBA and All-Defense were extremely hard. I also have hard thresholds for games played if you see players excluded (Azzi Fudd alll rookie). Here are my picks for each of the 10 awards:

MVP voting: A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell, Olivia miles, angel Reese, Breanna Stewart

612d ago

Mitchell Hansen

@hansen13.bsky.social

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has officially been named the 2026 #WNBA Coach of the Year, her league record fifth time claiming the award.

712d ago

3 sources

heavy.comWNBA Made Cheryl Reeve Announcement After Lynx Blowout Playoff Loss startribune.comLynx’s Cheryl Reeve wins record fifth WNBA Coach of the Year award kstp.comCheryl Reeve wins 5th WNBA Coach of the Year with Lynx

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Cheryl Reeve wins record fifth WNBA Coach of the Year

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