Cheryl Reeve Named to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

The legendary Minnesota Lynx heads coach was recognized alongside a stacked Hall of Fame Class.

Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve at a press conference at Crypto.com Arena. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

While the Minnesota Lynx may have come up short of the WNBA Finals in 2025, their league-best 34-10 record tied both a franchise and league record for both wins in a regular season and added another chapter into the storied success of both the Lynx as a team and the personal history of head coach Cheryl Reeve.

Reeve has a unique role among WNBA head coaches as both the leader of the team on the court and the president of basketball operations, giving Reeve even more control on the day-to-day processes of the team and allowing her to put her hand directly on things like facilities and recruiting.

Reeve's coaching career is the stuff of legends. She has been the head coach for 16 seasons and president of basketball operations for three, and in that time she has secured four WNBA Coach of the Year awards, the first coach to ever win the award four times, and two WNBA Executive of the Year awards.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve instructs forward Jessica Shepard (15) during a timeout of the game with the Phoenix Mercury in the fourth quarter at Target Center. / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Under Reeve, the Lynx have become one of the most formidable franchises in WNBA history, and for her efforts, Reeve has been named to the 2026 class of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, the Hall announced Thursday.

Leading the Way with Wins

Reeve is the most successful coach by wins in WNBA history, totaling 364 regular season wins and 52 playoff wins in her time in Minnesota. She has won six WNBA championships, four with the Lynx and two as an assistant coach with the now-defunct Detroit Shock.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve talks with guard Courtney Williams (10) from the sideline as they take on the Connecticut Sun during game four of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Mohegan Sun Arena. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

It's not only the volume of Reeve's wins that impresses, but the efficiency at which she's gotten them. She holds the highest postseason win percentage in WNBA history at .626, and the second-highest regular win percentage with .657.

A Legacy of Successful Players

On top of her success in the win column, Reeve has proven that she can coach her players to great personal success as well. She has coached two players to MVP awards, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore, and three to Defensive Player of the Year Awards, Napheesa Collier, Alanna Smith and Fowles again. She has also coached her players to 12 All-WNBA First Team selections.

Reeve's success as a head coach extends beyond the courts of Minnesota onto the international stage. Reeve served as the head coach of the USA Basketball Women's National Team from 2021-24, winning Olympic gold in 2024 during the Paris games. The gold medal was Team USA's eighth in a row for women's basketball, setting a record for the longest gold medal streak in a traditional team sport.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve is acknowledged during a game between the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves for being named as the head coach of the United States Women's Basketball National Team at Target Center. / Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Outside the Olympics, Reeve has coached Team USA to a 74-4 record and a perfect 50-0 record in FIBA competitions.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class is a stacked one. In addition to Reeve, legendary players like Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne and longtime ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke headline the class.

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