NEW YORK (AP) — At some point soon, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve will break the record for most regular-season victories in WNBA history.
It could happen Friday night against the New York Liberty. Or, maybe on Monday when Minnesota hosts Connecticut. That game would be on the 13th anniversary, to the day, that Mike Thibault broke Van Chancellor's record for most regular-season wins all-time.
Thibault finished his career with 379 — a mark that Reeve
has equaled.
Reeve will be happy when the chase is over.
“It's become a distraction," Reeve said at shootaround Friday morning. "One way or another, we'll win another game. We'll be able to focus on stuff again. I hate it for these guys.”
Reeve has gone 379-194 during the regular season in her career with Minnesota. She took over the Lynx in 2010 and has led the franchise to four WNBA championships. Her staff is filled with her former players, including Lindsay Whalen. In 2025, she added Eric Thibault.
The younger Thibault was on his father's staff in Washington when he broke the wins record. He sees a lot of similarities between the two coaches who are friends.
“The way they create an environment and culture where there's expectations and where they'll pull the best out of people. To do that over a long time takes a special person," Eric Thibault said. "They aren't the same personality wise, but I think the feeling they create in getting people to do their part is similar.”
Whenever Reeve breaks his record, the elder Thibault said he'd be happy for her.
“If I’m going to have my record broken, I'd rather it was her more than anyone I know,” Mike Thibault told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday. “We’ve been competing against each other, but were also friends. We worked together with USA Basketball. We’ve had a good relationship for a long time."
It's been a whirlwind week for Reeve, who was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame last Saturday. She flew to Dallas early the next morning to coach the Western Conference-leading Lynx, who have the best record in the WNBA at 15-4.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
