NEW YORK – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve, whose team finished with a league-leading 28-6 record, has been named the 2016 WNBA Coach of the Year, the WNBA announced today.  This marks the second such honor for Reeve, who also won in 2011 with Minnesota.

Reeve received 17 votes from a national panel of 39 sportswriters and broadcasters.  Brian Agler of the Los Angeles Sparks finished second with 12 votes, while Jenny Boucek of the Seattle Storm and Bill Laimbeer of the New York Liberty tied for third with three votes each.  Curt Miller of the Connecticut Sun earned two votes, and Michael Cooper of the Atlanta Dream and Stephanie White of the Indiana Fever received one vote each.

In Reeve’s seventh season as Minnesota coach, the Lynx set a franchise record for wins (28) and winning percentage (.824).  Minnesota posted the WNBA’s best regular-season record for the fourth time under Reeve, having previously done so in 2011, 2012 and 2013.  Reeve also guided the Lynx to at least 22 victories and a playoff berth for the sixth consecutive season.

Reeve and the Lynx will play Game 2 of their WNBA Semifinals series against the Phoenix Mercury tonight at the Target Center (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2).  Minnesota leads the series, 1-0.

Reeve owns a 168-70 regular-season record with the Lynx, the most wins in franchise history.  She entered the playoffs ranked No. 1 in WNBA history for postseason winning percentage (.744, 29-10).  Her three WNBA championships (2011, 2013 and 2015) are tied with Laimbeer for second place all time, one behind the Houston Comets’ Van Chancellor.

Under Reeve’s tutelage, the defending champion Lynx improved on last year’s 22-12 record behind a record-setting start.  Minnesota opened the 2016 season 13-0, surpassing its own league mark for consecutive wins to start a season (10 in 2012).  The Lynx’s 13^th win was a 72-69 road victory over Los Angeles (then 11-0) on June 21, the first meeting in the history of the WNBA, NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB between teams with at least 10 wins and zero losses or ties.

Behind a balanced attack led by Maya Moore, who finished third in the MVP voting and fifth in scoring (19.3 ppg), Minnesota ranked No. 2 in the league in scoring (85.8 ppg), field goals made (32.2), field goal percentage (.471) and assists (20.0).  On the defensive end, led by the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year presented by Samsung Sylvia Fowles, Reeve’s Lynx also ranked second in points allowed (77.0) and opponents’ field goal percentage (.417).

Reeve’s other WNBA Coach of the Year honor came in 2011, her second season guiding the Lynx, when Minnesota finished with the league’s best record (27-7).  Minnesota’s 14-game improvement over the prior season (13-21) is tied for the second-largest turnaround in WNBA history.

Reeve, 49, started her WNBA coaching career as an assistant under Anne Donovan in Charlotte (2001-02, 2004-05), Dan Hughes in Cleveland (2003) and Bill Laimbeer in Detroit (2006-09).  With Laimbeer, Reeve helped guide the Shock to the WNBA Finals in three consecutive seasons, winning championships in 2006 and 2008.  She was hired by Minnesota as head coach on Dec. 8, 2009.

Prior to joining the WNBA, Reeve spent 12 years as a college coach, including head-coaching roles at Indiana State and George Washington.  The Washington Township, N.J., native is a former Rhodes Scholar nominee and basketball star at LaSalle University.

Below are the voting results for the 2016 WNBA Coach of the Year Award as well as a list of past recipients:

2016 WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR RESULTS

WNBA COACH OF THE YEAR WINNERS

2016          Cheryl Reeve                         Minnesota Lynx
2015          Bill Laimbeer                           New York Liberty
2014          Sandy Brondello                     Phoenix Mercury
2013          Mike Thibault                          Washington Mystics
2012          Carol Ross                                Los Angeles Sparks
2011          Cheryl Reeve                            Minnesota Lynx
2010          Brian Agler                              Seattle Storm
2009          Marynell Meadors                   Atlanta Dream
2008          Mike Thibault                          Connecticut Sun
2007          Dan Hughes                            San Antonio Silver Stars
2006          Mike Thibault                          Connecticut Sun
2005          John Whisenant                      Sacramento Monarchs
2004          Suzie McConnell-Serio          Minnesota Lynx
2003          Bill Laimbeer                           Detroit Shock
2002          Marianne Stanley                   Washington Mystics
2001          Dan Hughes                            Cleveland Rockers
2000          Michael Cooper                      Los Angeles Sparks
1999          Van Chancellor                       Houston Comets
1998          Van Chancellor                       Houston Comets
1997          Van Chancellor                       Houston Comets

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