Cheryl Reeve just locked up her fifth WNBA Coach of the Year award, and Olivia Miles is the undisputed, unanimous 2026 Rookie of the Year. Honestly, you can’t talk about one without the other, because these two absolutely owned the WNBA this season, leading the Minnesota Lynx to the best record in the league. It’s a total package deal, with Miles thriving under Reeve’s guidance and Reeve getting the superstar she needed to put up another championship chase.
Cheryl Reeve cements her legendary status with fifth Coach of the Year award
Look, we’re talking about a coaching legend here. Reeve snagged her fifth Coach of the Year trophy, adding to her wins in 2011, 2016, 2020, and 2024. That’s a serious resume. What’s even wilder is that this award comes on the heels of her becoming the WNBA’s winningest head coach, period. She hit her 380th win on July 8, setting a league record that just screams dominance. She pulled in 40 of 74 first-place votes, blowing past last season’s winner, Natalie Nakase from the Golden State Valkyries, who had 20 votes, and Sydney Johnson from the Washington Mystics, who got 14. When you’re racking up records like that, it’s not just about winning games, it’s about building a program that just keeps producing.
Olivia Miles wasn’t just good, she was historically dominant for a rookie
Okay, but let’s talk about Olivia Miles. The No. 2 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft didn’t just win Rookie of the Year, she did it unanimously, grabbing all 74 votes. That doesn’t happen by accident! Anyone who watched her play saw this coming from a mile away. She swept every single Rookie of the Month award, which is bonkers, and was even an All-Star starter. She wasn’t just leading rookies, she was showing out across the board: leading all first-year players in points, points per game, field goals made, defensive rebounds, assists, and assists per game. She even went and set the WNBA rookie record for total points, on top of breaking a bunch of Lynx franchise rookie records. Her game is a “next-generation brand of bold point guard play,” with insane passes, fearless drives to the rim, and shots you just can’t believe she makes. And get this: Miles herself said she “never actually knew what I was doing,” adding, “You know kind of fake it until you make it.” Talk about humility from a player who just tore up the league!
The combo of Reeve’s historic coaching and Miles’s record-smashing rookie season is no joke. These two are a force, and they just put the entire WNBA on notice about what the Lynx are building. You’ve gotta wonder what they’ll cook up next.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Swish Appeal.
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