Cheryl Reeve given legacy-defining honor for Lynx and Team USA accomplishments
Cheryl Reeve has earned another legacy-defining honor after the Minnesota Lynx head coach was announced as a 2026 inductee into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame announced that Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve will be inducted as part of the Class of 2026 in honor of her remarkable impact and achievements within the sport.
Reeve, 59, completed her 16th season as head coach of the Lynx and her third as president of basketball operations. In her time with the Lynx, Reeve was named a four-time WNBA Coach of the Year, two-time Executive of the Year, and a four-time WNBA Championship-winning head coach.
Reeve's status as one of women's basketball's best also saw her serve four years as head coach of the USWBT (United States Women's Basketball Team), winning the 2022 Basketball World Cup, followed by Olympic gold in Paris last summer. Before taking over as head coach, Reeve built an impressive résumé as an assistant on several championship-winning U.S. teams, playing a key role in gold medal runs at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games as well as the 2014 and 2018 FIBA Women's World Cups.
Across her tenure with USA Basketball, her teams have compiled a remarkable 74-4 overall record, including an unblemished 50-0 mark in official FIBA play—a testament to her place among the elite coaches in women's basketball history.
This week, Reeve notched another legacy-defining achievement — being announced as a 2026 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. Also joining the Class of 2026 are former WNBA MVP Elena Delle Donne, longtime NBA analyst Doris Burke, international standouts Isabelle Fijalkowski and Amaya Valdemoro, and Kim Muhl, the decorated coach from Kirkwood Community College. The Hall of Fame will also honor Barbara Kennedy-Dixon posthumously for her lasting legacy in the game.
"We are honored to pay tribute to eight distinguished legends of this exceptional sport," WBHOF President Dana Hart said. "They exemplify the highest standards in women's basketball and have made substantial contributions to the sport, along with shaping the game's historical trajectory."
Reeve's last WNBA Championship came in the 2017 season. However, they made the 2024 WNBA Finals, where they lost to the New York Liberty. Last season, they advanced to the playoff semifinals, where they faced the Phoenix Mercury, who eventually lost to the Las Vegas Aces.
The Lynx went into the playoffs as the No. 1 team in the WNBA following a 34-10 regular season record. Game 3 against the Mercury is where the wheels came off, and Reeve lost her cool. Late in Game 3, Napheesa Collier went down hard after a collision with Alyssa Thomas, and when no foul was called, Lynx head coach Reeve erupted in frustration on the sidelines.
Reeve charged onto the court to confront an official, an outburst that led to her swift ejection and removal to the locker room tunnel. Her frustration didn’t cool off afterward — in her postgame remarks, she blasted the league’s officiating, calling it "f------ malpractice" that the WNBA assigned that particular crew to the pivotal series game.
Reeve went further, demanding new leadership in the league office — comments that earned her a steep fine and a suspension for the team’s must-win Game 4. The Lynx played without an injured Collier and a suspended Reeve and their season was ended by the Mercury.
"Obviously, not easy. That's probably an understatement, I think," Reeve said. "The leadership makes their decisions. An unprecedented response. Those are things you can't anticipate in the moment. I think for me, being a principled person, there are things I care deeply about.
"And that's my players' health and safety. That's the fairness to our organization. And when those things are challenged, if I'm not going to speak up, who's going to?"