Cheryl Reeve Thoughtfully Explains How WNBA Rode Caitlin Clark Wave
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve has not always been very outspoken about her praise for Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark.
This, combined with Reeve (who was also Team USA's Paris Olympics coach) making it clear multiple times that she wasn't interested in revisiting whether Clark was deserving of an Olympics roster spot, made it so she "took a lot of bullets" from the women's basketball community earlier this year.
But Reeve's stance on praising Clark has shifted ever since the Olympics ended, and she has said multiple kind things about the 22-year-old global superstar.
And Reeve kept this streak of praise going once again during her end-of-season exit interview on Tuesday when asked about witnessing and being an active part of the WNBA's record-breaking season.
"When Caitlin Clark announced she was going to enter the draft, I remember... the wave of enthusiasm that came from a player that wasn’t even going to play for the Lynx," Reeve said, per Vanshay Murdock.
"So there was a lot of excitement and momentum for the WNBA. But to see it actually translate business-wise across the league, whatever the reasons were. There's one really big reason and a lot of other little reasons why. And I think the movement that we’re in now is exciting."
She then discussed how the city of Minneapolis has supported the league and how general fan interest has increased this year before adding, "Business-wise, it was one of the best years we’ve ever had. But also support-wise from the community, throughout the community, whether it was in the arena or anywhere we went, the interest in the team and the buzz was palpable."
Reporter: breaking attendance records, having the whole city rally behind the Lynx. You’ve been here for a long time, what was it like to experience that this season?
— Vanshay Murdock 🎥🎥 (@VanshayM) October 22, 2024
Reeve: when Caitlin Clark announced she was going to enter the draft… The wave of enthusiasm that came from a… pic.twitter.com/LvClF9tTUi
It's great to see Reeve less upset about how the WNBA Finals ended and being eager to give Clark her well-deserved flowers.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.