Cheryl Reeve named 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

The WNBA announced on Sept. 28, 2026, that Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been named the 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year. The league said the award marks Reeve’s record-setting fifth time receiving the honor, extending the benchmark she already held after previous wins in 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2024.

According to the WNBA’s announced voting results, Reeve received 40 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase placed second with 20 votes, and Washington Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson finished third with 14 votes.

Reeve was recognized following her 17th season leading the Lynx. The WNBA said Minnesota compiled a 33-11 record and earned the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. The Lynx, led by Reeve, are continuing their pursuit of a record fifth WNBA championship.

The WNBA connected the award announcement to Minnesota’s immediate playoff schedule. It said the Lynx will visit the New York Liberty for Game 2 of their first-round series on Tuesday, Sept. 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET on USA Network. The league reported that Minnesota trails the series 1-0 heading into Game 2.

The league further described the season trajectory that led into the playoffs. After a 2-2 start, Minnesota won 20 of its next 24 games to reach the All-Star break at 22-6. The WNBA said Reeve earned WNBA Coach of the Month honors for June and was selected to serve as an All-Star head coach for the sixth time at the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago in July.

In the second half, the WNBA said the Lynx carried their momentum forward by winning nine of their first 10 games after the All-Star break. That surge helped set up Minnesota for the top seed in the postseason, which is part of the context the WNBA provided for Reeve’s Coach of the Year recognition.

The WNBA also highlighted a milestone Reeve reached during the regular season. It said that on July 8, in a game against the Connecticut Sun, Reeve became the WNBA’s all-time leader in regular-season coaching wins with her 380th victory. The league added that Reeve finished the regular season with 397 career regular-season wins.

The WNBA’s announcement included a full list of past recipients for the State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year award, beginning with Van Chancellor in 1997 through the most recent 2026 winner. The list shows Reeve’s prior Coach of the Year seasons alongside other multiple-time winners and coaches across the league’s history.