Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve made history on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, by securing her 380th career regular-season victory.
The milestone came after an 86-80 win against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Reeve surpassed the previous record of 379 regular-season wins held by former Connecticut Sun and Washington Mystics coach Mike Thibault since 2022.
The achievement followed a temporary delay on Friday, July 3, 2026, when the New York Liberty defeated the Lynx 99-86, briefly holding Reeve at 379 wins.
Breanna Stewart scored 36 points in that game.
Reeve previously became the all-time winningest WNBA coach in combined regular-season and postseason victories on Sept. 14, 2025, reaching 414 wins to surpass Thibault's mark of 413.
She was also inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame on June 27, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee, becoming only the second WNBA coach to receive the honor after Van Chancellor in 2001.
"(I appreciate) the magnitude of this recognition of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the great work that has gone into this institution," Reeve said.
Reeve has spent 17 seasons leading the Minnesota Lynx since 2010, securing four WNBA championships and four WNBA Coach of the Year honors.
She also coached Team USA to a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
"To walk around and see the history of how much has been done years before I could ever have this opportunity to coach," Reeve noted.
Liberty's Dominant Paint Performance
During the July 3 game against New York, the Liberty dominated the paint with 52 points against Minnesota's league-low defensive average of 32 points per game.
They utilized early switches on defensive rolls.
"My mindset going into the game was knowing this is a team that really loads up defensively.
They were switching against me, so there were opportunities for quick rolls, slips, and getting downhill," said Breanna Stewart.
Sabrina Ionescu contributed 17 points for New York just four days after receiving her MVP award. Jonquel Jones added 14 points and 15 rebounds.
"We knew we'd have an advantage inside with our size and our ability to get downhill," said Sabrina Ionescu.
Ionescu highlighted how player movement and perimeter threats created defensive vulnerabilities for the Lynx.
"She moves so well without the ball, rebounds at a high level, and finishes around the basket.
When we can space teams out and make them respect our three-point shooting, it opens the paint for her, and she took full advantage tonight," Ionescu stated.
Minnesota trailed 59-49 at halftime following a late 13-2 second-quarter run by New York. The Lynx never closed within 12 points after a fourth-quarter 3-pointer by Jones.
"We're starting to build the right chemistry.
Everybody knows each other's strengths and weaknesses now, and our communication has really improved," said New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco.
"JJ quarterbacks everything behind the defense. When we're defending in the half court, we really believe in what we're doing," DeMarco added.
"When we play the right way, we're a very hard team to stop," said Jonquel Jones. "Understand that this is the standard.
This is the level we need to play at, and now it's about maintaining it."
Lynx Struggle Without Collier
Kayla McBride led Minnesota with 18 points on July 3, while Courtney Williams added 16 points. The Lynx allowed New York to shoot 58% from the field.
"Our team defense just wasn't there," said Courtney Williams.
"Describing how they scored 52 points in the paint, and that's something we really hang our hats on defensively.
When a team shoots 58 percent on its home floor, it's usually because they're getting quality looks, layups, and close-range opportunities."
Reeve offered a critical evaluation of the Lynx defense regarding their coverage of pick-and-roll schemes.
"It was not our best. It wasn't good enough against this team," Reeve said.
"Our decisions defending their pick-and-roll actions, especially the ones involving Stewie, weren't good.
We were out of position, we had no help, and they scored 52 points in the paint. Stewie had a field day."
The Lynx played the July 3 match without Napheesa Collier, who missed the start of the season due to offseason ankle surgery but returned to practice alongside Dorka Juhász.
Liberty forward Satou Sabally remained sidelined in concussion protocol.
NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming attended the July 3 game, providing a memorable moment for New York center Xu Han.
"I had just finished warming up and saw him.
It felt amazing to have such a great Chinese basketball player come support us and support me," said Xu Han.
"I felt his energy, and I think I brought that energy onto the court for my teammates too."
