Lynx's Cheryl Reeve Wins 2026 WNBA Coach of the Year Award, Full Voting Results

Cheryl Reeve is the WNBA Coach of the Year for the fifth time, extending her league record.

The Minnesota Lynx coach received 40 of the 74 first-place votes. The Golden State Valkyries' Natalie Nakase was runner-up with 20 votes, and Washington Mystics coach Sydney Johnson was third on the ballot.

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The Lynx finished with the WNBA's best record, going 33-11. As consistent as the franchise has been through the years, Minnesota was far from a favorite to claim the No. 1 seed.

In Bleacher Report's power rankings ahead of opening night, Hunter Cruse had the Lynx down in fourth.

Two key players in the frontcourt, co-Defensive Player of the Year Alanna Smith and Jessica Shepard, signed with the Dallas Wings. Natisha Hiedeman, the runner-up for Sixth Player of the Year, also bolted for the Seattle Storm.

Compounding matters, Napheesa Collier had offseason ankle surgery that kept her off the court until late July.

Despite everything working against the Lynx, they set the bar for the rest of the league.

Olivia Miles flourished in her rookie season. The 5'10" playmaker possesses plenty of talent, but part of her success is undoubtedly owed to Reeve's coaching.

The same goes for Natasha Howard making her first All-Star team since 2022. She shot a career-best 59.8 percent from the field and helped fill the void left by Smith and Shepard.

Nakase has worked wonders with the Valkyries. They've made the playoffs in each of their first two years in the WNBA, and their record in 2026 improved by nine wins.

Johnson took the youngest roster in the league and guided the Mystics to 28 wins, their most in a single season.

Either would've been a worthy candidate for Coach of the Year, but nobody will argue with Reeve's victory.