Latest news with #CherylReeve
CBS News
a day ago
- Sport
- CBS News
Lynx sign 11 kids to one-day contract for Jr. Dream Team
It's a contract like no other to join the top team in the WNBA for a day — Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve signed 11 kids with Special Olympics Minnesota to the roster. "This is my favorite day of the season," Reeve said. Once they got the paperwork out of the way, the new players hit the court with the pros. Thirteen-year-old Havannah got to play with standout point guard Courtney Williams. "It was really fun to meet her. She was really funny and she was really nice," Havannah said. This moment inspired her to keep playing the game. "I feel like it opened a new door because my grandpa is our coach for every sport and he keeps on asking me, 'Do you want to play basketball?' and I'm like, 'No, I don't feel like that's me,' but now that I played with them I think actually might enjoy it," said Havannah. Twelve-year-old Jasmine could not contain her excitement to join this team. "That was so much fun and I like to have fun," she said. Dream Team members made sincere connections with pros they look up to. "I watched her every time and she was the most incredible woman I've ever seen," said Jasmine. For the pros who are always locked in and grinding, it was nice for them to let loose and be a kid again too. "The best part about it is they're just here to be with us. We talk too much about the season and all the expectations, but when we're out there on the court with them it's just about basketball and having fun, and we get to learn about them too," said Kayla McBride, Lynx guard. The Jr. Lynx Dream Team will be recognized on-court on Friday, Aug. 8 when the team hosts the Washington Mystics.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Top WNBA Coach Faces Criticism After Behavior Toward Caitlin Clark Resurfaces
Top WNBA Coach Faces Criticism After Behavior Toward Caitlin Clark Resurfaces originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have booked their spot in the Commissioner's Cup Final after their impressive 88-71 win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday. They are now set to face the defending champions, the Minnesota Lynx, on July 1 in a winner-take-all matchup. Advertisement The Fever will likely face a tough test against the league's current top team, who owns an 11-1 record. For Clark, it will be an opportunity to face off against Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was previously linked to the controversial decision not to include Clark in the Team USA roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics as the squad's head coach. Reeve's behavior toward Clark during the build-up to the Summer Games has now resurfaced courtesy of renowned sports journalist Christine Brennan. In an appearance on 'The Adam Gold Show' on Monday, the award-winning WNBA reporter did not hold back in criticizing Reeve. United States head coach Cheryl Reeve watches her team's game against Serbia.© Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports 'Just stunningly bad behavior by Cheryl Reeve, tweeting at and about Caitlin Clark, kind of blaming her for not having Minnesota Lynx games on TV, but only Caitlin games on TV,' Brennan said, via Ryan Giancola of the New York Post. Advertisement Brennan was referring to Reeve supposedly taking a shot at Clark last year amid all the hype surrounding the former Iowa star's WNBA debut. In her post, Reeve mentioned that fans would not be able to watch the game between the Lynx and the Chicago Sky because Clark's debut was going to be televised. Reeve also added a hashtag to her post: "theWismorethanoneplayer" Brennan wasn't done either. The sportscaster then took aim at Reeve's behavior toward Clark in relation to the decision to leave her out of the national team. 'How on earth is that OK with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan asked. Brennan's intense criticism comes ahead of the launch of her upcoming book, "On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports," which is expected to hit shelves on July 8. Advertisement Based on her comments about Reeve here, it appears that Brennan has a few more spicy takes in her new book, which could potentially make a lot of waves in and around the WNBA. Related: Fever Coach Stephanie White Reveals Concerning Update on Tuesday Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads With Three-Word Message for Indiana Fever Teammate Related: Top WNBA Team Suffers Major Blow on Tuesday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
WNBA coach blasted over scathing Caitlin Clark posts online: 'Stunningly bad behavior'
Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been blasted by sports columnist Christine Brennan over social-media posts about Caitlin Clark in lead-up to last year's Summer Olympics. The possible conflict of interest exists with Reeve also being the Team USA head coach with Clark in the talent pool that could have represented America in Paris. Reeve took exception with the league giving television time to the Indiana Fever, so fans nationwide could watch Clark play, and not her team, which finished last season as WNBA runner-ups. 'How on earth is that ok with the US Olympic and Paralympic community and the USA basketball team that its coach is actively tweeting and going on social media about someone who is in the selection pool?' Brennan said on 'The Adam Gold Show'. 'Just stunningly bad behavior by Cheryl Reeve, tweeting at and about Caitlin Clark, kind of blaming her for not having Minnesota Lynx games on TV, but only Caitlin games on TV.' Officially, Reeve was not on the selection committee to decide the 12-woman Olympic roster. Yet, she is the coach of the team. Her input being nonexistent is not a realistic scenario. Whatever thought went into picking the stacked USA roster cannot be faulted, as the team won a gold medal without much of a hiccup outside of its Olympic finale against the host French. Team USA's only loss of the summer came in the WNBA All-Star Game where the Olympic squad lost to a selection of the league's best non-selected players, including Clark. Brennan is the author of the upcoming book, 'On Her Game: Caitlin Clark and the Revolution in Women's Sports' with her chronicling the Fever point guard's professional career. The columnist herself has not put pen to paper on the novel without ruffling a few feathers herself. Last year, she was at the center of a scandal when she asked DiJonai Carrington if she had deliberately poked Caitlin Clark in the eye during Game 1 of the first round playoff series between the Sun and Fever. When Carrington denied having any malicious intent, Brennan followed up by asking if Carrington and her teammate Marina Mabrey had laughed about it afterwards - a notion that Carrington also disapproved of. The WNBA players union filed a complaint seeking Brennan losing her credentials to cover the league, while the columnist also filed a complaint against now-Clark teammate DeWanna Bonner after she was approached by the former Sun star about her line of questioning.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Lynx Still Standing Tall In WNBA Power Rankings
Minnesota Lynx Still Standing Tall In WNBA Power Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Don't think for one minute that the Minnesota Lynx aren't looking over their shoulders when battling in the WNBA. They know that a lot of teams want to knock them off of their perch right now. Advertisement The Lynx lost their first game of the season last week, falling to the Seattle Storm 94-84 in a road game up in the Pacific Northwest. While Minnesota has that first blemish on their record, the team is still parked high atop the WNBA Power Rankings. ESPN has the Lynx in the No. 1 spot, but Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve knows that she's got to stay on top of her players. After the Seattle loss, Reeve admitted that her squad just didn't play well enough to win. That's not to say her players aren't playing well. Just look at what Napheesa Collier has been doing, getting some early-season attention toward a possible WNBA Most Valuable Player award. Napheesa Collier continues to play like a possible WNBA MVP for the Lynx this season Collier scored 32 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out six assists as Minnesota dropped the Los Angeles Sparks 101-78 on Saturday, June 13. That was a nice way to get the taste of a first loss out of the team's system. Advertisement Right now, WNBA teams are in the middle of Commissioner's Cup play. On Tuesday, June 17, the Lynx go up against the Las Vegas Aces, who have a WNBA championship banner in their arena. Should Minnesota pull off a win, they will find themselves back in the Commissioner's Cup final. Last season, the Lynx took home the coveted trophy. It would be a nice way for Reeve and her players to add this to their list of accomplishments this season. Still, there's a lot of work to do for Minnesota to reach the zenith of their season, capturing the WNBA championship. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Minnesota honors Seimone Augustus, whose legacy is obvious as Lynx chase another WNBA title
MINNEAPOLIS — It was fitting on Saturday afternoon that after Seimone Augustus' 'Naismith Hall of Fame' accolade was added to her retired jersey number in the Target Center rafters, she took to the mic at center court, and among the many people she thanked and stories she told was that of her own veteran teammate and basketball mentor — Tamika Williams-Jeter. Advertisement Beyond basketball, Williams-Jeter taught her about money, Augustus said, most importantly, how to save it and when to let others cover you when they want. It was a crucial lesson for a young Augustus who came into Minnesota in 2006 as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft making just more than $42,000 a year. The Lynx were eight years into existence at that point, and by the end of Augustus' rookie season, the franchise would be onto its fourth-ever coach. By her second year, they'd hire their fifth. In her fourth season, a third. And finally, in her fifth season — with no playoff appearances in Augustus' career — Cheryl Reeve would come in, becoming a bedrock of the Lynx's franchise and laying a foundation to become the league's winningest postseason coach. How fortunate it was for Reeve that Augustus was one of the players she inherited, someone around whom she'd build one of the most impressively dynasties in pro sports. In 2010, the Lynx traded for Lindsay Whalen and picked Rebekkah Brunson in the dispersal draft. In 2011, they drafted Maya Moore with the No. 1 overall pick. But it was Augustus who was there even before Reeve, and whose spirit and approach to the game helped formulate what Reeve would mold the Lynx into during the 2010s. There would be an unselfish nature, consisting of reluctant superstars and lifelong learners. Reeve emphasized these qualities in people that the Lynx would bring in. message for Mone 💙 — Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 15, 2025 With that core, in 2011 and 2013, the Lynx won their first two titles. In 2015, Minnesota traded for Sylvia Fowles and added another two championship banners to the rafters that season and in 2017. But the thing about dynasties is they have a lifespan of their own making. None last forever. And after Whalen, Moore and Brunson retired following the 2018 season, many expected a lull. In 2019, Minnesota drafted Napheesa Collier with the No. 6 pick. She wasn't even the first player from UConn chosen in that draft class, and yet, Minnesota knew the talent she could be as the Lynx were turning a page in their history. Advertisement 'We knew Phee was going to be the face (of the Lynx),' Augustus said. 'She was going to carry the torch. So, we had to show her how we led.' That was Augustus' final season in Minneapolis and yes, among the many things imparted from Augustus in that overlap with the rookie Collier were lessons in finance (which were really lessons in how the biggest stars of the team should take care of the newbies on the block). Collier remembers being at restaurants and bookstores when Augustus would step in to cover her bill. She admits she doesn't think she paid for a single thing her rookie season. 'As a rookie, you're basically like a baby bird,' Collier said. 'You don't know what's going on, you need help with everything, and (Augustus) and (Fowles) really took me under their wing in that way.' Williams-Jeter, Augustus and Collier were all present on Saturday as Augustus was honored before the Lynx's 101-78 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks. It was a ceremony meant for Augustus, but there was also a sense that with this individual honor also came a recognition of the legacy of player leadership that has run through this organization. With Reeve as the longest tenured coach in the WNBA, the Lynx truly seem like the only WNBA franchise with a generational tradition passed down from core group to core group. It also doesn't hurt that Reeve has kept her alums close by, with Brunson and Whalen now serving as assistants. Williams-Jeter and Augustus stayed in Target Center on Saturday to watch as Collier dismantled the Sparks, scoring as many points individually in the first half (26) as the Sparks did as a team. It was a vintage Minnesota Lynx performance — one that might've seemed particularly fulfilling for fans who recall the Lynx-Sparks rivalry of the 2010s. 'Having the alums here, you want to make them proud,' Collier said after the game. 'We're in the house that they built, brick-by-brick. We want to make sure that we're doing right by them. … Make sure that they're proud of what they've been able to accomplish and make sure that we are trying to continue their legacy.' Advertisement The decisive win was a direct response to a sloppy game against the Seattle Storm last week, one in which the Lynx gave up 50 points in the paint. That response, again, felt particularly reminiscent of the 2010s Lynx, who rarely gave up more than one game in a row. It is in both obvious (dominance on the floor, responses to adversity) and non-obvious ways (financial lessons) that the current Lynx doesn't feel too far off from what was created by the 2010s Minnesota core. Albeit, this one has yet to win a title. Five players from Minnesota's four-title run have had their numbers retired. Two are in the Naismith Hall of Fame, and Fowles had to miss Augustus' ceremony at Sunday's game because she was in Knoxville, Tenn., being inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (Whalen, Augustus and Moore have already been inducted there, too). For the better part of the 2010s run, a third of U.S. Olympic team called the Lynx 'home.' Yet among this current crop, only Collier's No. 24 seems to be a future candidate to join Whalen (13), Brunson (32), Augustus (33), Fowles (34) and Moore (23) in the rafters. She's not surrounded by players who've won multiple Olympic gold medals or future Hall of Famers. Collier is, by far, Minnesota's best player, and yet her unselfish and ego-less presence permeates throughout the team, much as it did in the 2010s. When Whalen talks about why she wouldn't possibly pass to Moore … or Augustus … or Fowles during her career, it's understandable. But it's a harder sell when Collier might make the extra pass to players who've never sniffed an All-Star nod or WNBA award. But she does because she learned from the players who did. The Lynx lead the league in assist percentage (just like last season) with Collier working as a willing passer and facilitator. Of the 26 WNBA players who average three or more assists per game, four are on the Lynx roster — more than any other team. Credit that stat to Collier's leadership style. But Collier says it's actually on defense where she sees the most similarities between this team and the previous core. 'When we are successful and why we have been so successful for the past year and this season as well is because of (our) defense,' Collier said. 'That is something they were known for. They made the Lynx known for their defense. And just the way we are so united as a team, the way we genuinely care about each other and get along — they talk about those same stories from when they were here playing. It's not a secret what success is. It's chemistry on and off the court, and a passion to want to play for your teammates, and that directly translates to defense because defense is all effort.' Advertisement On the floor and off the floor, there are ways that makes them similar to the Lynx of the past, even if not as many of these players will be returning in the future to have their jersey numbers retired or and Hall of Fame additions the results are the results, and the Lynx are getting back to where they want to be with lessons passed down through generations that have experienced that success. It has been five seasons since Augustus took center court in a Minnesota uniform, but on Saturday when she did so and started her speech, with tears in her eyes, she began by saying, 'Minnesota, Minnesota, Minnesota. I've missed you.' Which was understandable, because it's not hard to miss something that — in many ways — feels so familiar. (Top photo of Seimone Augustus: Matt Krohn / Getty Images)
