Cheryl Reeve Wins Third WNBA Executive of the Year, Completes Historic 2026 Awards Double

Cheryl Reeve added another historic honor Monday when the WNBA named the Minnesota Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations its 2026 Basketball Executive of the Year. It is Reeve’s third time winning the award, following victories in 2019 and 2024, and it comes only two weeks after she earned a record fifth Coach of the Year award.

The executive honor recognizes a Minnesota roster that finished a league-best 33-11 despite significant offseason turnover. Reeve retained a core led by Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams, added veteran forward Natasha Howard and used the No. 2 pick in April on Olivia Miles, who went on to win WNBA Rookie of the Year. Reeve appeared on 13 of the 14 eligible executive ballots, with Atlanta’s Dan Padover second and Golden State’s Ohemaa Nyanin third.

The result gives Reeve a rare distinction: she is the first person to win both WNBA Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year in the same season twice, having also swept the awards in 2024. Minnesota’s early playoff exit keeps the season from being remembered as a championship run, but the two awards underline something larger — Reeve’s influence on the Lynx extends well beyond the sideline, from roster construction to the culture that has kept Minnesota among the league’s most consistent organizations.