Lynx's Cheryl Reeve named WNBA Executive of the Year for record third time

Minnesota Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve didn't just coach her team to a league-high 33 wins in 2026. She was also responsible for assembling the talent that propelled the team to the best record in the WNBA.

Because of that, Reeve was named the league's Executive of the Year on Monday.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after Reeve was named the WNBA Coach of the Year for a record fifth time.

Monday's award is also a record. With the win, Reeve tied Atlanta Dream Executive VP and GM Dan Padover as the only two individuals to win the award three times. Reeve also won the award in 2019 and 2024. Padover won the award in 2020 and 2021 with the Las Vegas Aces and then in 2025 with the Dream.

Following a tremendous year by the Dream, Padover nearly won the award for a fourth time. He came up just two votes short of Reeve, finishing in second for the award in 2026. Reeve appeared on 13 ballots. Padover was on 11 ballots. Ohemaa Nyanin of the Golden State Valkyries finished third in the voting.

Reeve's success in 2026 was largely due to the selection of star rookie Olivia Miles with the second overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Miles turned in a fantastic first year, unanimously winning the Rookie of the Year award . Reeve also brought in veteran Natasha Howard, who returned to All-Star level in her first season with the Lynx.

Reeve was initially hired as the Lynx's head coach in 2010. She's remained in that role over the past 17 seasons, winning the WNBA championship four times. In addition to remaining the team's head coach, Reeve was promoted to general manager in 2017. In 2022, she was named the team's president of basketball operations.