​Cheryl Reeve felt a sense of relief as she closed a storied chapter and began a new one. The longtime Minnesota Lynx coach joined WNBA legend Mike Thibault at the top of the all-time wins list on June 28, a tight race that kept the league-leading Lynx from perfect momentum as they dropped two straight for the first time this season. Yet the slump did not last long, and the WNBA now has a single all-time winningest coach again. Minnesota defeated the Connecticut Sun 86-80 on Wednesday night to secure Reeve’s historic 380th career victory. “I am so glad this is over,” said Reeve, 59, during a postgame interview on USA Network.
Reeve’s journey to the pinnacle of the sport is long and varied. She starred at La Salle University from 1984 to 1988, where she became a four-year starter and now ranks fifth in the Explorers’ career assists with 420. After time as an assistant coach at La Salle and George Washington, she moved on to head coaching roles at Indiana State, posting a 63-72 record over five seasons with winning marks in each of her final two campaigns.
Her path then led to the WNBA in 2001, where she worked as an assistant coach for the Charlotte Sting (in two separate stints), the Cleveland Rockers, and the Detroit Shock before taking over the Lynx helm in 2010. Since then, Reeve has turned the Lynx into a powerhouse, posting a 380-196 record, capturing four WNBA titles (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017), and earning coach of the year honors four times (2011, 2015, 2020, 2024). She has missed the postseason only twice with Minnesota, and her 49 playoff victories are the most in league history. The sport recognized her merit recently with her induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame just last month.
“Milestones deserve the Hall of Fame treatment,” the WNBA noted in a congratulatory X post. Thibault and Reeve share a rival-turned-respect relationship forged over more than a decade of competition and collaboration.
Reeve amassed her overall success across more than 16 seasons with the Lynx, while Thibault reached 379 wins over 20 WNBA seasons, including a decade with the Connecticut Sun (2003–2012) and another with the Washington Mystics (2013–2022). He is now head coach of Belgium’s national women’s team and is a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year who guided Washington to the league title in 2019. The two have also shared the U.S. national-team stage, with Reeve steering the Americans as head coach to gold at the 2022 World Cup in Australia and the 2024 Paris Olympics, where Thibault served as her assistant.
Reeve reflected on the personal connection that underpins their professional rivalry. “I learned a lot from Mike through the years,” she said after the game. “Tremendous coach, and there’s so much respect we’ve had for each other over time. I know he’s happy for me. And when someone passes me, I’ll be happy for them too.” Thibault echoed that sentiment publicly, offering a gracious shout-out: “Congrats, Cheryl, so much from all the Thibault family.”