Cheryl Reeve Named 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year

NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2026 – Cheryl Reeve, head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, has been awarded the 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year, as announced by the league. This marks the fifth time Reeve has received this honor, extending her own record, having previously won in 2011, 2016, 2020, and 2024.

Reeve secured 40 out of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Natalie Nakase, head coach of the Golden State Valkyries, finished second with 20 votes, while Sydney Johnson of the Washington Mystics came in third with 14 votes.

In her 17th season with Minnesota, Reeve led the team to a 33-11 record, earning the No. 1 seed in the WNBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel. The Lynx will continue their pursuit of a fifth WNBA championship on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when they face the New York Liberty in Game 2 of their first-round series, currently trailing 1-0.

After starting the season 2-2, Minnesota won 20 of its next 24 games, reaching the All-Star break with a 22-6 record. Reeve was named WNBA Coach of the Month for June and served as an All-Star head coach for the sixth time at the 2026 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago.

Reeve also achieved a significant milestone on July 8 against the Connecticut Sun by becoming the WNBA’s all-time leader in regular-season coaching wins, recording her 380th victory. She concluded the regular season with a total of 397 career wins.

Voting results for the 2026 State Street Investment Management SPY WNBA Coach of the Year Award are as follows:

Coach (Team) Votes

Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota) 40

Natalie Nakase (Golden State) 20

Sydney Johnson (Washington) 14

Past recipients of the Coach of the Year Award include notable names such as Van Chancellor, Michael Cooper, and Becky Hammon. The complete list of winners is available for reference.