Cheryl Reeve had been tied for the most regular-season wins in WNBA history with Mike Thibault at 379 for a while. With the Minnesota Lynx defeating the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, Reeve finally broke the deadlock. While speaking to reporters after the match, Reeve expressed how setting the record felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“I am so glad this is over. Sorry Mike, we’ve had a lot of great battles,” Reeve said while speaking to USA Sports. “(I) learned a lot from Mike through the years. I know he’s happy for me. And somebody’s going to pass me, and I’ll be happy for them, too.”

Reeve had good reason to feel pressured because she had been nipping at the heels of this milestone for the last three games. The Lynx’s win against the Dallas Wings on June 28 took Reeve level with Thibault. But then the Lynx lost two consecutive matches, against the Sun and the Liberty, for the first time this season.

Coming out against the Sun for the second time, expectations were once again high because the Lynx current lead the lead with a 16-6 record. On the flipside, Connecticut is at the bottom with a 5-17 record.

Thankfully for Reeve, her team snapped their losing streak on Wednesday. Kayla McBride scored the team-high 23 points, and Dorka Juhasz and Courtney Williams finished with 12 points as the Lynx beat the Sun 86-80.

The celebration continued beyond the court, inside the locker room. The Lynx players welcomed their coach with confetti and balloons forming the number 3-8-0. However, Coach Reeve directed the praise toward everyone who helped her along the way.

“It’s not lost on me how important it is. So many players in that locker room, on the staff, just talking with Chuck or a trainer, so many people that have been on this journey with me for so long, and even the new ones, just to share with them was incredibly meaningful.”

Reeve already holds the playoff wins record at 52 wins, and now after surpassing Thibault in regular-season wins, she is officially the winningest in WNBA history, in every sense of the word.

And with Minnesota leading the league, things are looking good for them, as they also built a squad with a good balance of veteran leadership and young explosive talent.

The Lynx Look Poised For A Title Run

With a 16-6 record, the Lynx are at the top of the league. One can say that they have been performing above expectations this year, as they have been without their star forward Naphessa Collier for most of the season, who has been sidelined due to injuries.

However, players like Natasha Howard, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, and rookie Olivia Miles have filled the void left by Collier with ease. In fact, the Lynx are leading the league in several major statistical categories.

They have the best defensive rating in the league at 99.7, and the third-best offensive rating at 110.6. They also have the fourth-best true shooting percentage in the league at 57.3.

And they are doing all of it without their MVP-level player, Napheesa Collier. This just speaks to the fact that the Lynx are enjoying good squad chemistry and have sufficient depth to mount a deep run into the season.

Olivia Miles looks poised to win the Rookie of the Year award, and McBride, Howard, and Williams are putting up career-high numbers as well.

Now, with their coach scripting WNBA history, the Minnesota Lynx’s future is looking bright.