There are times when a moment exceeds the game, and that’s what happened on Wednesday night when the Minnesota Lynx played the Connecticut Sun.
Minnesota defeated Connecticut 86-80, but that sole result wasn’t the story. It was what the victory meant that etched the game in the history books.
With the Lynx’s win, head coach Cheryl Reeve became the winningest coach in WNBA history, recording her 380th victory.
The win broke the tie she had with head coach Mike Thibault. Funnily enough, Reeve accomplished this feat while Thibault’s son, Eric Thibault, sat on her bench as an assistant coach.
After the game, Reeve was bombarded with as much adulation as humanly possible.
Confetti erupted, covering the locker room floor, as Reeve recoiled in shock. When she collected herself, the celebration ensued. There were balloons with the numbers 3-8-0 surrounding her as her players and staff cheered while she held the stat sheet in one hand and a cold beverage in the other.
Here’s what Reeve shared about her accomplishment:
It’s a moment in time. It’s one of those things. But to do it with people that you really care about. [That] will give anything for the team to be successful. I have a great appreciation for all of them.
While win No. 380 was inevitable, when it would happen was unknown. The Lynx lost to the Sun on Monday by the slimmest of margins, and in this encore the script looked very similar. Connecticut led for the majority of the night and entered the final frame up by two.
But there will be no more agonizing about when the spectacle would be over. The Lynx outscored the Sun 26-15 in the final 10 minutes to put the game to bed and earn a new record for their head coach.
Kayla McBride was a huge factor in the victory with a game-high 23 points. While the win matters most as Minnesota aims to return to the WNBA Finals this season, Reeve admitted it was nice to be done with the extra attention.
“I am so glad this is over,” Reeve said on the postgame broadcast.
There are myriad reasons Reeve has been this good for this long, but the simplest way to describe her success is that she built the Lynx dynasty. It’s been her only home as a head coach, and it’s been 17 years and counting. During that time, she’s won four WNBA titles and been the WNBA Coach of the Year on four separate occasions.
She’s done that while coaching Hall of Famers like Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore, eventual inductees like Napheesa Collier and future stars like rookie Olivia Miles.
So many greats being linked to Reeve’s is no coincidence. It’s an indicator of an elite program built on the basketball culture she has cultivated for nearly two decades. And even now, in 2026, the Lynx sit above the rest of the WNBA in the standings, ready to win some more and add to Reeve’s current 380-win total.
While that number is guaranteed to rise, Reeve is certain it too will be broken by someone else. And when that happens, she’ll share in the enthusiasm for that moment, just as Thibault has for her. Reeve shared:
[I] learned a lot from Mike through the years. Tremendous coach. So much respect that we’ve had for each other through the years. I know he’s happy for me. And somebody’s going to pass me and I’ll be happy for them, too.
But that day is a long way off. For now, Reeve is the rightful queen of WNBA coaching, and the crown is secure.
