Cheryl Reeve had a memorable 2024. She took the Minnesota Lynx to the WNBA final and helped Team USA women win gold at the Paris Olympics. Cheryl Reeve’s side was unfortunately lost in the WNBA finals as you could argue that the refereeing controversy stopped the Lynx from winning another championship. Winning gold was no easy feat as the hosts (France) gave them a serious run for their money in the gold medal match. If they had lost the final against France, the fallout would have been colossal as Team USA women were massive favorites going into the tournament. Let’s explore why she will go down as one of the greatest coaches in the WNBA.
Cheryl Reeve Will Go Down as the GOAT Coach in the WNBA
Reeve Overachieved With The Minnesota Lynx Last Season
It would not be too far-fetched to say Reeve got the most out of her players last season. They finished above top teams Las Vegas Aces and Connecticut Sun last regular season. That is no mean feat, as those teams had a better starting five last year. The Minnesota Lynx would not have been able to do this without Kayla McBride, Napheesa Collier, and Alanna Smith having career seasons. Collier was a top-three offensive player, McBride had the best season of any two-guard in the league, and Smith had an All-Star-caliber season. Collier’s development is not a surprise, as she is one of the best two-way players in the league.
Cheryl Reeve Managed to Weather Adversity in the Playoffs
In the first game of the WNBA finals, the Lynx were down by 18 points before they made a comeback to win game one. Without Reeve’s adjustments down the stretch, it would be hard to envision the Lynx making a comeback. The turnaround was remarkable, considering WNBA teams were 0-183 when down 15 or more with five minutes remaining in the postseason. They did well to make it a five-game series with the New York Liberty and were unfortunate with the controversial last-second foul call on Breanna Stewart, which forced overtime. This was a difficult pill for the Lynx to swallow as they were close to winning a fifth championship.
Success With Team USA Women
Cheryl Reeve coached Team USA’s women’s basketball team when they won gold at the 2024 Olympics. This was not a surprise as she was assistant coach at the 2020 Olympics and won gold at the FIBA Women’s World Cup. Despite being strong favorites to win gold in all three tournaments you can never take anything for granted as Team USA men’s teams have struggled in the FIBA World Cup recently. The women’s team may have lost the 2024 Olympic final to the hosts France had Gabby Williams’ foot not been over the line on a buzzer-beater three. Team USA women were limping over the line before the final play by Williams. They had 15 turnovers against the hosts at half-time and were behind by 10 points in the third quarter. However, Reeve made adjustments in the third quarter to ensure her team got over the line.
Reeve’s Records Speak For Themselves
Very few coaches can rival Reeve’s achievements. Since joining the Minnesota Lynx in 2010 she has won 330 out of a possible 510 games. This is no mean feat as she has had to coach different types of players and make huge changes to her roster across 15 years. In that timeframe, she has won four championships and been to three playoff finals. She deserved to be named the Team USA coach in December 2021. As coach of the women’s national team, she has won the FIBA World Cup (2022) and Olympic Gold (2024). Ultimately, Reeve’s resume is hard to match when it’s all said and done she could go down as the WNBA’s GOAT coach.
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