The Minnesota Lynx coach took top honors after a 33-11 regular season, while rookie guard Olivia Miles won a unanimous award.
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve won the 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year award on Monday, earning the recognition for a record fifth time after leading Minnesota to a league-best 33-11 regular-season record.
Reeve received 40 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State head coach Natalie Nakase, who won the award in 2025, finished in second place with 20 votes. Reeve last took the honor in 2024 and became the first coach of a No. 1 overall seed to win it since Becky Hammon with Las Vegas in 2022. Minnesota earned the top record despite an extended absence from forward Napheesa Collier.
Rookie honors and playoff setback
Lynx guard Olivia Miles also collected postseason hardware on Monday as the unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year. Miles won all 74 votes from the media panel after joining Minnesota in the 2026 draft, where the Dallas Wings selected Azzi Fudd with the first overall pick.
Minnesota concluded the regular season with an 86-66 victory over the Indiana Fever, but the top-seeded Lynx dropped their playoff opener on Sunday. Playing at Target Center, Minnesota lost 91-75 to the eighth-seeded New York Liberty. The Lynx face elimination in Game 2 of the best-of-three series on Tuesday night in New York.
First-round action across the league
In other opening-round action Sunday, the Valkyries routed Dallas 104-80 at Chase Center in San Francisco. Cecilia Zandalasini scored 22 points and Gabby Williams added 20 for Golden State, which pulled away after Tiffany Hayes entered early in the first quarter following a slow start. Dallas rookie Paige Bueckers finished with 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting in the loss.
