Women's Fastbreak On SI

Cheryl Reeve Sends Harsh Reality Check to 'Surviving' Lynx Players

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve didn't mince words when discussing players in her team's WNBA training camp.
Grant Young|
Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks to the media before game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks to the media before game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Lynx have arguably been the steadiest, most consistent, and arguably best WNBA franchise this century. This is shown by them having four WNBA championships, which is tied with the Houston Comets (who won the league's first four titles) and the Seattle Storm.

One huge reason for the Lynx's sustained success is Cheryl Reeve, who has been the team's head coach since 2010. She was also named Minnesota's GM in 2017 before becoming their president of basketball operations in 2022, a role she still holds (along with also still being head coach).

Reeve's gritty, blue-collar, and brutally honest coaching style has made her the have the highest winning percentage, given her the most wins of any female coach, and won the most postseason games of any coach in WNBA history.

She hasn't made this history by ever mincing words and shying away from being blunt. And this was proven again when Reeve spoke with the media on April 30.

When asked about her players' training camp performance, Reeve said, "This was a really good day of reality. Which ones take today and can understand how to respond on Friday, anything new that we throw at them... The next set of days are the ones where it really starts to happen, because you see the ones that are really starting to get it, and can perform and not survive," per an X post from Andrew Dukowitz of Zone Coverage.

"We had some that were out there surviving today, and that’s not a great place to be," she continued.

The Lynx's first round of roster cuts will likely speak volumes when trying to figure out which "surviving" players Reeve was alluding to.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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