Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve is famously known for having quite an outspoken persona in the WNBA. Reeve never fails to show it, and Friday night was another example of it. The winningest coach in league history turned heads with her wardrobe choice, as she was seen wearing a Gloria Steinem T-shirt on the sidelines during the game against the New York Liberty.

A monumental icon of society and culture, Gloria Steinem passed away on September 2 at age 92 at her home in New York City. As a legendary journalist and feminist activist who spent more than five decades fighting for equality, Steinem’s passing ignited tributes from all over the world. Reeve has always held a deep admiration for Steinem’s work and spared some kind words for her following the game.

“Gloria Steinem who recently passed, lived a life I admire, and that I hope that all of us live the same values as her will work as tirelessly, ferociously, all the things. That’s what we can do to honor her tremendous life. I would not be sitting here today doing what I’m doing… I thought it was appropriate to honor her tonight,” Reeve said, via Lynx beat writer and reporter Andrew Dukowitz.

This is not the first time Reeve has addressed Steinem. Following her passing, the Lynx coach was one of the first to post a heartfelt tribute on X, promising that she will do her best to carry on her legacy for the next generation.

“Thank you, Gloria Steinem, for a lifetime of devotion to equality. You paved the way for the life I live today. In whatever small way I can, I will carry the torch of equality so that the next generation of girls/women can live as you dreamed of for them,” Reeve wrote, while also quoting one of Steinem’s most famous lines.

“’We’ll never solve the feminization of power until we solve the masculinity of wealth.’” Reeve added.

Safe to say, Reeve has been carrying that torch for a while now. As previously established, Reeve’s outspoken history has involved issues beyond the hardwood throughout her coaching career with the Lynx.

A decade ago, the Lynx were one of the first teams in the WNBA to publicly wear “Black Lives Matter” gear and call for police reform. And this stance just as swiftly called for national attention, as the protest prompted four off-duty Minneapolis police officers working security at the Target Center to walk off their shifts.

Five years after the protest, Reeve reflected in an interview that it was a “very bold step of being the first team to vocalize the need for police reform.”

As for carrying Steinem’s legacy, Reeve has been open about her experiences facing gender inequality as well. And back in April 2018, Reeve wrote about it in her column on The Players’ Tribune.

There, Reeve wrote about her frustrations from when she was not a WNBA coach. She mentioned her time with the Detroit Shock, when her mentor, head coach Bill Laimbeer, told her that she didn’t have a “presence” when he asked why any team would hire her. However, back then Reeve concurred with him, but Laimbeer’s words stuck with her for a while.

Reeve wrote that Laimbeer’s philosophy linked an ideal head coach’s authority to physical stature, equating size with power. Back then, Reeve wanted nothing but to prove Laimbeer wrong.

However, a full-circle moment arrived at the end of Laimbeer’s tenure with the Lynx. While he went to the Timberwolves, he heard the Lynx were looking for a new head coach. Reeve revealed that Laimbeer was the one who went up to the owners and said, “Hey, you should hire Cheryl.”

And now that Reeve is the winningest coach in WNBA history, you can say Laimbeer’s referral was the inception of a highly successful story with the Lynx, which is still reaching further heights this season.

Regardless, Reeve has never tried to hide her morals, even when another nationwide controversy was upon the WNBA this season, ignited by Sophie Cunningham’s comments she made in an ESPN interview. And interestingly enough, it also involved Reeve’s wardrobe choice.

Cheryl Reeve backed trans athletes amid controversy

Back in July this season, Sophie Cunningham said she supported restricting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. This sparked an overnight debate around the topic and put a lot of attention on the league, but the WNBA itself has stayed silent on the matter.

Regardless, Cheryl Reeve did not shy away from addressing where she stands on the matter. Ahead of the game against Sophie Cunningham and the Indiana Fever on August 2, Reeve stood by her support for transgender athletes.

“I come from a space of inclusion,” Reeve told reporters. “The narrative that I think is problematic is to suggest that transgender athletes are the biggest problem in women’s sports. This is what’s bothersome. There is a faction of people in our country that are making this a massive issue.”

And during the game between the Lynx and the Fever, Reeve wore a light blue “Trans Kids Belong” T-shirt expressing her stance on inclusion. The Lynx head coach’s wardrobe choice in the midst of all the drama saw ESPN broadcasters express their thoughts on air.

“Well, we see Cheryl Reeve wearing a shirt today in support of trans kids… in the aftermath of Sophie Cunningham’s recent comments. We actually saw Cheryl and Sophie speaking at center court pregame, and yesterday Cheryl Reeve spent a lot of time talking at length with the media about this topic. I would encourage anyone to go and listen to Cheryl Reeve’s comments. Incredibly thoughtful.”

As the ESPN commentator mentioned, Reeve also met up with Cunningham ahead of the game. Cunningham appreciated having an in-person discussion with Reeve, as the Fever star later told the media that, contrary to Reeve, a lot of people tend to “hide behind the screen”.

With this, we realize that, despite keeping her own morals in check, Cheryl Reeve’s admiration for Steinem’s work reflects the same values she has learned from the late women’s activist.