The 2026 Minnesota Lynx season may have been buried a while ago, but they got another nice piece of news in their mailbox before the WNBA Finals begins.
For those of you unfamiliar with her game, Reeve is not only arguably
the greatest basketball coach of all-time, but she also wears the hat of uber successful President of Basketball Operations for the Lynx organization. Make no mistake about it. Reeve has won both Executive of the Year and Coach of the Year in the same season.
For the second time.
The only other person to have ever accomplished this feat was Dallas Wings General Manager Curt Miller in 2017. No one has ever done it twice. This marks the third time Reeve has won the EOC award, adding it to her trophy rack next to her five COY awards. For the 2026 season, Cheryl received 13 of the 45 votes, edging out the Atlanta Dream’s Dan Padover.
It was another historic year for the GOAT. Many outlets had predicted the Lynx would miss out on the postseason completely, after losing six key rotation players in the offseason to other teams. Instead of bagging new big name free agents like Nneka Ogwumike or Gabby Williams, Reeve had to pivot. She prioritized the return of this year’s three captains, Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams while also uncovering bargain deals for veterans like Natasha Howard, Nia Brodie, and Maya Caldwell-Ellwanger. She supplemented that with some affordable European talent like Emma Čechová.
Most importantly, she selected Olivia Miles second overall in the 2026 WNBA draft.
It seems like a no-brainer decision now in October 2026, but in April 2026, the mocked top four were far from a general consensus. Azzi Fudd, Awa Fam, Lauren Betts, and Miles had all been in the mix among the teams drafting the top four. Reeve sifted through the film and interviews, ultimately making the right call.
What makes fans even more proud of Reeve is what she consistently brings off the basketball court. Is she a brilliant coach and underrated front office mind? Absolutely. But she never loses focus of what’s most important: the real human lives that are touched by the W. Amid yet another public attack on the trans community, Reeve has continued to publicly invoke love and inclusion. She has a long track record of doing so, but made sure her voice was heard.
For my money, Cheryl Reeve should be Person of the Year.
