Look no further than the Minnesota Lynx for the shining example for how a professional sports team can remain relevant year after year. The key to it all is drafting well, and that’s exactly what Cheryl Reeve has done during her time as the Lynx head coach and general manager.
Last year, Reeve drafted Napheesa Collier sixth overall pick and she went on to win the 2019 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. This past spring, Reeve took point guard Crystal Dangerfield with the 16th overall pick, and like Collier, she now has a WNBA Rookie of the Year award in her trophy case.
Dangerfield, who led Minnesota with 16.2 points and 3.6 assists per game, is the first second-round pick in WNBA history to be named the league’s top rookie.
At the same time, Reeve was named the WNBA Coach of the Year, receiving 25 of 47 first-place votes. It’s the third time she’s won the award during her 11 seasons with the Lynx.
Minnesota faces Phoenix at 6 p.m. Thursday (ESPN2) in the second round of the playoffs. The second round is single elimination, so Minnesota needs a victory to advance to the best-of-five semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces or Seattle Storm.
