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Cheryl Reeve

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Cheryl Reeve
Portrait of a woman in her mid fifties holding a microphone with shoulder length highlighted hair, wearing silver hoop earrings, a Sylvia Fowles tribute t-shirt, gray-patterned suit jacket
Reeve in 2022
Minnesota Lynx
PositionHead coach, President of Basketball Operations
LeagueWNBA
Personal information
Born (1966-09-20) September 20, 1966 (age 58)
Gloucester County, New Jersey, U.S.
Career information
High schoolWashington Township
(Sewell, New Jersey)
CollegeLa Salle (1984–1988)
Coaching career1988–present
Career history
1988–1990La Salle (assistant)
1990–1995George Washington (assistant)
1995–2000Indiana State
2001–2002Charlotte Sting (assistant)
2003Cleveland Rockers (assistant)
2004–2005Charlotte Sting (assistant)
2006–2009Detroit Shock (assistant)
2010–presentMinnesota Lynx
Career highlights and awards
As head coach:

As assistant coach:

Medals
Head coach for the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2024 Paris Team
FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2022 Australia

Cheryl Reeve (born September 20, 1966) is an American basketball head coach and President of Basketball Operations for the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA.[1] Reeve has coached the Lynx to four league championships. In WNBA history, she has the highest winning percentage, she has won the most games of any female coach, and she has won the most postseason games of any coach.[2][3] Reeve was named the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2011,[4] 2016,[5] 2020,[6] and 2024[7] and WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year in 2019[8] and 2024.[7] She is the first coach in WNBA history to be named Coach of the Year four times.[7]

Early life and education

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Reeve grew up in Washington Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey and graduated from Washington Township High School in 1984, where she was part of the school's first team to make the state finals.[9] In 1988, Reeve was a Rhodes Scholar nominee and received a MAAC Scholar-Athlete Post Graduate Award and an NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship. She earned a bachelor's degree in computer science that year and then an MBA, both from La Salle University.[10]

Coaching career

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Reeve started out as assistant coach at her alma mater, La Salle for two years. She was then an assistant at George Washington for five years. The Colonials posted five 20-win seasons, captured three Atlantic 10 Conference Championships and appeared in four NCAA tournaments during Reeve's stint at George Washington. Her first head coaching position was with the Indiana State Sycamores from 1995 to December 1 of the 2000–2001 season (replaced by her assistant coach Jim Wiedie).[11][12][13][14] She improved the team's record each year for the first four seasons, and led the squad to its first postseason berth in 20 years following the 1998–1999 campaign. She's currently tied with Kay Riek for 5th in Wins among Lady Sycamore annals.

WNBA career

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Assistant coach roles

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Reeve got her start in the WNBA with the Charlotte Sting in 2001 when she joined Anne Donovan’s staff as an assistant. After posting an 8–24 record the year previous, Charlotte turned things around in Reeve’s first year by going 18–14 and advancing to the WNBA Finals. They followed in 2002, with another 18–14 mark and their second straight appearance in the postseason.

Following the 2002 campaign, Donovan left to become the head coach of the Seattle Storm, and Dan Hughes and the Cleveland Rockers hired Reeve away from Charlotte. The Rockers advanced to the playoffs that year, but in the offseason ownership decided to cease operation of the team making Reeve a coaching free agent. She rejoined the Sting staff for the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Reeve then spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Detroit Shock, also serving as the team's last general manager before they moved to Tulsa.

Minnesota Lynx head coach

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Reeve coaching the Lynx in 2011

Reeve was named the head coach of the Minnesota Lynx on December 8, 2009. In her first season, the Lynx went 13–21, missing the playoffs. The team was hampered by injuries to Candice Wiggins and Seimone Augustus. At one point, a frustrated Reeve said bluntly, "We are a bad basketball team. It starts at the top. I have not been able to get them to understand defensively what we need to get done and, clearly, our offense is one of the worst in the league."[15]

The Lynx improved dramatically in 2011. With Wiggins and Augustus back healthy, and with the addition of rookie Maya Moore, the team got off to a quick start and did not falter throughout the regular season, finishing with a league-best 27–7 record. The dramatic turnaround earned Reeve the WNBA Coach of the Year Award in just her second year as a head coach at the professional level.[16][17] The Lynx finished what they started, losing only one game in the playoffs en route to their first WNBA championship.

Reeve in 2013

Reeve took her team back to the playoffs in her third year. The team qualified for the playoffs after just 21 games, the fastest in franchise history. Reeve became the winningest coach in Lynx franchise history on August 26, 2012, with a win over the Atlanta Dream.[18] The Lynx went on to lose to the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Finals.

In 2013, Reeve and her staff coached the WNBA Western Conference All-Star Team, as the Lynx had won the conference championship the previous year. Reeve's squad included four Lynx players: Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, and Lindsay Whalen. Reeve's team ended up winning the game, 102–98.[19] Reeve's team then swept through the playoffs, going 7–0 en route to their second championship under her leadership.

Reeve is currently the most successful coach in franchise history, both in terms of the number of games won and winning percentage, and also has the highest winning percentage in WNBA history. She won her 100th regular season game on June 2, 2014, in a victory over the San Antonio Stars. She won her 31st postseason game on September 30, 2016, in a semi-final victory over the Phoenix Mercury, to move into first place in WNBA history in playoff wins.[20]

In December 2017, Reeve was also promoted to the Lynx General Manager position.[21] With her 2022 contract extension, Reeve moved from the general manager position to president of basketball operations.[22]

Throughout her tenure, Reeve has won many accolades for her coaching. She was named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2011,[4] 2016,[23] 2020,[24] and 2024.[7] She was named the AP coach of the year in 2020[25] and 2024.[26] Additionally, she was inducted into the Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2023.[27]

USA Basketball

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In the 2016 and 2020 games, Reeve served as an assistant coach on Team USA. In 2016, Geno Auriemma was the head coach, while Dawn Staley took over for the 2020 competition.

Before taking on her role among the assistant coaching staff, Reeve had served as an assistant for the 2014–16 USA National Team that took home gold medals at the 2014 FIBA World Cup Team and 2016 Olympic Games. She returned as an assistant for the 2018 World Cup Team, winning gold and qualifying the USA for the 2020 Olympics.[28]

Reeve was named the head coach for the women's national team in December 2021.[29] As head coach, she led the national team to its fourth World Cup with the October 2022 win.[29] She was named USA Basketball's National Team Coach for the Year in 2022 following the World Cup win.[29] The national team won its 8th Olympic gold medal in the final game against France on August 11, 2024, with Reeve as head coach.[30]

Personal life

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Reeve is married to singer and Lynx vice president Carley Knox. They have one child, Oliver, who Knox said has seen every Lynx home game since he was born.[31]

Coaching record

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Indiana State

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Year G W L W-L% Conference Notes
1995–96 26 7 19 .269 3–15 (9th) [32]
1996–97 27 14 13 .519 9–9 (T4th) [33]
1997–98 28 17 11 .607 10–8 (4th) MVC Tournament 2nd round[34]
1998–99 29 18 11 .621 10–8 (4th) MVC Tournament 2nd round, WNIT at Wisconsin[35]
1999-00 27 9 18 .333 5–13 (T7th) [36]
2000–01 6 1 5 .167 0–0 Resigned on December 1, 2000.[11][12][37]
Overall 143 66 77 .462 37–53 [11]

Minnesota Lynx

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Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L % Win–loss %
Playoffs PG Playoff games PW Playoff wins PL Playoff losses PW–L % Playoff win–loss %
Team Year G W L W–L% Finish PG PW PL PW–L% Result
MIN 2010 34 13 21 .382 5th in West — — — Missed Playoffs
MIN 2011 34 27 7 .794 1st in West 8 7 1 .875 Won WNBA Finals
MIN 2012 34 27 7 .794 1st in West 9 5 4 .555 Lost WNBA Finals
MIN 2013 34 26 8 .765 1st in West 7 7 0 1.000 Won WNBA Finals
MIN 2014 34 25 9 .735 2nd in West 5 3 2 .600 Lost in Western Conference Finals
MIN 2015 34 22 12 .647 1st in West 10 7 3 .700 Won WNBA Finals
MIN 2016 34 28 6 .824 1st in West 8 5 3 .625 Lost in WNBA Finals
MIN 2017 34 27 7 .794 1st in West 8 6 2 .700 Won WNBA Finals
MIN 2018 34 18 16 .529 4th in West 1 0 1 .000 Lost in 1st Round
MIN 2019 34 18 16 .529 4th in West 1 0 1 .000 Lost in 1st Round
MIN 2020 22 14 8 .636 4th in West 4 1 3 .250 Lost in Semifinals
MIN 2021 32 22 10 .688 2nd in West 1 0 1 .000 Lost in Second Round
MIN 2022 36 14 22 .389 5th in West — — — Missed Playoffs
MIN 2023 40 19 21 .475 3rd in West 3 1 2 .333 Lost in 1st Round
MIN 2024 40 30 10 .750 1st in West 12 7 5 .583 Lost in WNBA Finals
Career 510 330 180 .647 77 49 28 .636

References

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  1. ^ "Lynx Basketball Operations". Minnesota Lynx. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  2. ^ Andrews, Julian (July 6, 2018). "Column: Reeve's Legend Grows As She Rights The Lynx's Ship". NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  3. ^ Reeve winning percent in: Peden, Mike (June 2, 2017). "Cheryl Reeve wins inaugural Coach of the Month award". Summitt Hoops. FanSided. and postseason records in: "WNBA Finals 101: Storylines to Know Ahead of Historic Rematch". WNBA. NBA Media Ventures. September 21, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve Named 2011 WNBA Coach of the Year". OurSports Central. September 16, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve Named 2016 WNBA Coach of Year". WNBA. NBA Media Ventures. September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Cheryl Reeve Named 2020 WNBA Coach of the Year". Minnesota Lynx. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d "Minnesota Lynx's Cheryl Reeve Named WNBA Coach of the Year and WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year for 2024 Season". www.wnba.com. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  8. ^ "Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve Named 2019 WNBA Basketball Executive of the Year". Official Site of the WNBA. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Caffrey, Michelle. "Championship WNBA coach and Washington Township graduate to be honored by Philadelphia Sports Writers Association", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 22, 2012. Accessed September 23, 2017. "Cheryl Reeve has made her hometown proud. A 1984 graduate of Washington Township High School, Reeve recently led the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx team to a championship victory."
  10. ^ "Head coach of the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx". La Salle University. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c "Sycamores Ready for Bahamas Sunsplash Shootout". gosycamores.com. Indiana State Sports. December 16, 2009. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  12. ^ a b "SIU Set to Host Indiana State". Southern Illinois Salukis. January 24, 2001. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "Wiedie Remains Indiana State Coach". AP News. March 27, 2001. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  14. ^ Bode, Gus (January 17, 2001). "MVC women's basketball outlook". Daily Egyptian. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  15. ^ Lynx coach knows good basketball
  16. ^ Reeve Named WNBA Coach of the Year
  17. ^ "Lynx Reeve, Moore Receive League Awards :: SportsPageMagazine.com". Archived from the original on October 2, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  18. ^ Augustus, Brunson lead Lynx past Dream Archived August 27, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ Parham, Nate. "2013 WNBA All-Star Game Final Score: Candace Parker's MVP Performance Leads West to 102–98 Victory." Swish Appeal. 27 July 2013.
  20. ^ "As WNBA playoffs tip off, here's you need to know about the Minnesota Lynx". MPR News. September 20, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  21. ^ Youngblood, Kent (December 28, 2017). "Lynx's Cheryl Reeve promoted to general manager". Star Tribune. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  22. ^ "Reeve gets extension, promotion to Lynx prez". ESPN.com. November 3, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  23. ^ "Cheryl Reeve wins WNBA Coach of the Year". September 30, 2016. Archived from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  24. ^ "Cheryl Reeve Named WNBA Coach Of The Year". WNBA.com – Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  25. ^ "Crystal Dangerfield is Rookie of Year, Cheryl Reeve top coach in media WNBA awards". Star Tribune. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  26. ^ "AP WNBA Awards". AP News. September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
  27. ^ MitchellHansen (December 28, 2023). "Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve Part of 2023 Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame Class". Canis Hoopus. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  28. ^ "Could Cheryl Reeve Be Next USA Head Coach?". Zone Coverage. August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  29. ^ a b c "Cheryl Reeve Named USA Basketball's 2022 National Team Coach of the Year". USA Basketball. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  30. ^ "U.S. women's basketball team beats France by 1 point to get 8th straight Olympic gold medal - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  31. ^ Ziegler, Cyd (December 21, 2017). "Minnesota Lynx coach and VP come out publicly as married couple". SB Nation: Vox Media. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  32. ^ "Statistics Summary for 1995–96" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  33. ^ "Statistics Summary for 1996–97" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  34. ^ "Statistics Summary for 1997–98" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  35. ^ "Statistics Summary for 1998–99" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  36. ^ "Statistics Summary for 1999-00" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  37. ^ "Statistics Summary for 2000–01" (PDF). GoSycamores.com. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
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