When you think of the all-time greatest coaches the game of basketball has ever seen pace the sidelines — men’s and women’s — you have to think of Cheryl Reeve.
In 2009, Reeve left the Detroit Shock — where she was part of two WNBA titles as an assistant coach — to take her first head coaching job in the WNBA. As a first-time head coach, many were curious to see what Reeve would accomplish in Minnesota or if the organization would have to look for its seventh head coach in under a decade.
Well, it worked out pretty dang good — and continues to now 17 years later.
With the Lynx, Reeve has achieved just about everything you can as a coach.
She has won six WNBA titles, four as head coach in Minnesota. She has received four Coach of the Year honors (2011, 2016, 2020, 2024), the first coach to do it four times. She has won the most playoff games in league history and the most regular season and postseason victories combined. She is an Olympic gold medalist. And, as of June 27, she is a Hall of Famer.
“I’ve been in the coaching profession for a long time. There’s times when I go ‘how? How is this me?’,” Reeve said in a tribute video by Victory+. “I haven’t had a chance to really reflect on everything, but it’s not lost on me.”
Reeve has done it all, but her list of accolades grew a bit longer on July 8 with Minnesota’s win in Connecticut. In the victory, Reeve secured win No. 380 as a coach, surpassing the great Mike Thibault for the most regular season wins in WNBA history.
In honor of the Hall of Famer setting the mark and becoming the all-time leader in regular season wins, we look back at her journey to get there.
Win No. 1
May 15, 2010: Minnesota Lynx 80, Tulsa Shock 74
Reeve didn’t have to wait long to get the first win of her coaching career, doing so in her coaching debut in the season opener in 2010 on the road against Tulsa.
Behind a strong third quarter, Minnesota was able to pull out in front and not look back the rest of the game, taking down the Shock to give Reeve her first victory. Charde Houston led the way with 21 points and seven rebounds, followed by Monica Wright with 18 points, Rashanda McCants with 15 points and five boards off the bench, and Lindsay Whalen and Hamchetou Maiga-Ba with 10 points each for Minnesota.
The Lynx would follow that game with a rough stretch to start the regular season, going over the next 10 games. Minnesota would conclude Reeve’s first season as head coach with a record of 13-21 and without an appearance in the playoffs.
Win No. 50
June 15, 2012: Minnesota Lynx 78, Phoenix Mercury 60
The 50th regular season win of Reeve’s career came on the road in Phoenix against DeWanna Bonner, Candice Dupree and the Mercury. Minnesota held Phoenix to shooting just 28.8% from the field in that game, grabbing the road win to push the Lynx’s winning streak to 10 straight to open up the 2012 campaign.
Leading the way for the Lynx in that contest was Lindsay Whalen, who posted a game-best 29 points. Seimone Augustus added 14 points, while Monica Wright had 11 points off the bench.
Minnesota would suffer its first loss of the 2012 season two nights later in Seattle, finishing that season with a 27-7 record and ending in the Conference Finals.
Win No. 100
June 1, 2014: Minnesota Lynx 87, San Antonio Stars 79
Reeve crossed triple-digits in the regular season win category once again on the road (are you sensing a theme so far here?) in San Antonio against some familiar names on the Stars: Danielle Robinson, Kayla McBride, Becky Hammon and Jia Perkins.
In the win, Seimone Augustus had the mid-range game going strong, leading with 25 points. Maya Moore added 18 points, nine rebounds and four steals, Tan White had 17 points off the bench and Lindsay Whalen tallied a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists.
This win pushed Minnesota’s start to a perfect 7-0 to begin the 2014 campaign, one which Maya Moore claimed league MVP while helping the Lynx to a 25-9 record and postseason run that ended in the Conference Finals.
Win No. 150
June 11, 2016: Minnesota Lynx 83, Washington Mystics 76
The next wins milestone reached by Reeve in the regular season came — once again — on the road in the nation’s capital against Emma Meesseman, Natasha Cloud and company.
In the win, Seimone Augustus had a team-best 21 points, followed by Sylvia Fowles with 18 points and seven rebounds, Maya Moore with 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Renee Montgomery with 13 points.
This win was the 10th straight to start the 2016 campaign for the Lynx, who would end the regular season with a 28-6 record while falling in the WNBA Finals (we still don’t want to talk about that).
Win No. 200
June 19, 2018: Minnesota Lynx 91, Dallas Wings 83
We have our first wins milestone at home! Reeve grabbed regular season win No. 200 in the middle of June against Skylar Diggins, Liz Cambage and company. Minnesota got off to a strong start to jump out to a lead and held Dallas off the rest of the way to grab the win.
The Lynx had four players score 15 or more points, led by Maya Moore with 21 points and seven assists. Sylvia Fowles added 19 points, 17 rebounds and five steals, Seimone Augustus tallied 16 points and Danielle Robinson posted 15 points off the bench.
This win was part of a rollercoaster start and regular season for the Lynx, who finished the 2018 campaign 18-16 overall while losing in the single-elimination first round of the postseason.
Win No. 250
June 17, 2021: Minnesota Lynx 85, Dallas Wings 73
Almost exactly three years later, Reeve would get regular season win No. 250 against the same team she got win No. 200 against, this time grabbing that victory on the road against Arike Ogunbowale, Satou Sabally, Allisha Gray and the Wings.
Kayla McBride hit a trio of threes and led the Lynx offensively with 22 points, followed by Napheesa Collier with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Sylvia Fowles with 14 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Minnesota was strong defensively, holding Dallas to just 34.7% shooting (shoutout to the below 40% shooting stat!).
The Lynx would go on to conclude the 2021 season with a record of 22-10, reaching the postseason but falling to the Chicago Sky in the single-elimination second round.
Win No. 300
September 3, 2023: Minnesota Lynx 86, Phoenix Mercury 73
The Lynx saved the best for last in the 2023 regular season with the final win of the regular season taking place on the third-to-last game to give Reeve regular season win No. 300 at home against the struggling Mercury.
While holding Phoenix to 36.8% shooting from the field, Kayla McBride and Napheesa Collier led the way for Minnesota on the other end of the floor. McBride had 23 points, while Collier had an impressive 22 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Dorka Juhász also posted a near triple-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
That season, Minnesota finished the regular season just under the .500 mark at 19-21 overall, going on to fall to Connecticut in three games in the first round of the playoffs.
Win No. 350
July 16, 2025: Minnesota Lynx 79, Phoenix Mercury 66
Minnesota’s red-hot start to the 2025 season included Reeve grabbing No. 350 at home against Phoenix, locking down Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner and the Mercury to breeze to victory.
Minnesota, which connected on 10 threes, had four players finish in double figures in scoring in the win. Kayla McBride led the way with 18 points and five assists, Courtney Williams added 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Alanna Smith had 11 points and five boards, and Napheesa Collier posted 10 points, five rebounds and three steals.
The dominance continued in 2025, with the Lynx finishing the regular season with a league-best record of 34-10. Minnesota, however, would fall to this same Phoenix team in four games in the semifinals round of the playoffs.
Win No. 380
July 8, 2026: Minnesota Lynx 86, Connecticut Sun 80
Now to the record-setting win: No. 380.
It took a few games after win No. 379, but Reeve and the Lynx finally secured the historic victory on the road on July 8, revenging a home loss to Connecticut two nights prior by defeating the Sun on their own home court.
In the contest, it was a fight for Minnesota, which didn’t look great throughout the game without Olivia Miles and Napheesa Collier. However, the Lynx found a way and got the record-breaking win for their coach.
Kayla McBride led the way for the Lynx in the win, finishing with 23 points, four assists and two steals. Courtney Williams had 12 points, seven assists and two steals, Natasha Howard had a double-double of 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks, while Dorka Juhász and Antonia Delaere each reaching double figures in scoring off the bench.
With the win, Reeve not only puts herself atop an impressive wins list — one that will only continue to grow — but the thing she is probably most proud of is that her team got a road win and bounced back after a loss to remain right at the top of the WNBA standings.
We are watching a living legend do what she does best: win.
In 2023, Reeve said: “Coaching is what I do and it’s not who I am.”
You’re right, Cheryl. You’re not just a coach. You’re much more than that.
You’re a champion.
You’re a Hall of Famer.
You’re the winningest coach of all-time.
And you are a living legend — one who you are will inspire many generations to come.