Cheryl Reeve will return to the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx as head coach after signing a multiyear contract extension while also moving from general manager to president of basketball operations, the organization announced Thursday.
Reeve told reporters Thursday that her contract is for five years, the longest she has ever signed with the organization.
"I wanted to be here," Reeve said. "I've always made that known, as we even started this process. And I feel fortunate that I've been able to be here as long as I have."
Reeve has served as head coach in Minnesota since 2010, compiling 281 regular-season wins, the most in the league in that span. She is one of two WNBA coaches who have won more than 65% of games in their careers, with a minimum of 100 games coached.
The Lynx won four championships under Reeve (in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017) and made the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons until that streak was snapped following a 14-22 campaign in 2022. Her 41 career playoff victories (with a .661 winning percentage in the postseason) are a league-best mark.
"Pro sports, you don't necessarily have that opportunity for longevity all the time. I feel incredibly fortunate that I have this opportunity," Reeve said. "We're doing it the way I had hoped when I was a young person. Longevity, loyalty, those sort of things, for me, that's at the center of who I am and who I want to be and who I want to surround myself with."
The news of the extension comes following speculation that Reeve -- a three-time WNBA Coach of the Year and one-time league Executive of the Year -- could be poached by another franchise in the offseason, particularly as the Lynx transition to new ownership under Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez. There have been four head-coaching vacancies so far (the Los Angeles Sparks, the Indiana Fever, the Dallas Wings and the Connecticut Sun) across the 12 WNBA markets.
Reeve said she sought "clarification so that I'm not being naive" from Lore and Rodriguez -- who have joined the ownership group for the Lynx and Timberwolves but are not yet controlling owners -- on their vision for the franchise, reaching "a level of comfort -- and enthusiasm, not just comfort -- for what I think lies ahead in terms of commitment that I think is necessary."
"I've had phone conversations with [Lore] that led me to believe that he was going to be somebody that was interested in moving the league forward in a significant way, much like we're hearing from some other franchises in the league," Reeve said. "I have the vision for Marc and Alex and their ownership to be among that group that is not interested in the status quo in terms of how we treat women's sports, WNBA in particular, and that have an interest in really bringing this thing into that next level of investment, support, and whatever we need, and however you're going to treat the Timberwolves, is how you're going to treat the Lynx."
Reeve added she'd like to "bring [Lore and Rodriguez] closer and touch and feel the product more," which she said they're eager to do though their ownership isn't yet complete. As for her elevation to president of basketball operations, Reeve quipped that "my son has held [Reeve's wife, Lynx president of business operations Carley Knox] in higher regard, and I asked [Lynx owner Glenn Taylor] if he would be open to the idea that perhaps I could be on level footing here at home, and he obliged. And you think I'm kidding."
"Cheryl's impactful leadership on and off the court has guided the Lynx for more than a decade, and I'm thrilled that she is returning and additionally taking on new responsibilities as President of Basketball Operations," Taylor said in a release. "Cheryl's devotion to growing the game and our league is extraordinary, and we have some exciting seasons ahead of us."
Prior to becoming head coach of the Lynx, Reeve won two titles as an assistant with the Detroit Shock in 2006 and 2008. She was also named head coach of the USA Basketball women's national team in 2021, leading the U.S. to gold at the 2022 FIBA World Cup in Australia.
Reeve's first task under her new contract is to usher the Lynx into a new era following legend Sylvia Fowles' retirement at the end of the 2022 season.
"I'm energized by a team that we could put together to be back in contention, I want that to be clear," Reeve said. "This isn't about 'maybe we can field a decent team,' that sort of thing. That's just not going to be the way that we're going to do things. The expectations are high for the Minnesota Lynx and this franchise. We've been the gold standard in this league, and we're on a mission to get back to that."