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How Cheryl Reeve became WNBA Executive of the Year: A play in four acts

Caissa Casarez|
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- JULY 17: Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx high-fives teammates before the game against the Seattle Storm on July 17, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- JULY 17: Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx high-fives teammates before the game against the Seattle Storm on July 17, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
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PHOENIX, AZ- SEPTEMBER 6: Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx looks on during the game against the Phoenix Mercury on September 6, 2019 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ- SEPTEMBER 6: Cheryl Reeve of the Minnesota Lynx looks on during the game against the Phoenix Mercury on September 6, 2019 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena, in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)

First such honor for Lynx head coach/GM

The Minnesota Lynx took part in the WNBA playoffs for the ninth year in a row in 2019.

That stat might not seem too spectacular to some; after all, this is the same team that won four WNBA titles in seven years. But this year – and that WNBA-record ninth-straight postseason appearance – was different.

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Lindsay Whalen retired after last season. Maya Moore didn’t play this year. Neither did Rebekkah Brunson. Seimone Augustus appeared in only 12 games this year following knee surgery. Meanwhile, the rest of the WNBA is getting better and better.

And yet, the Lynx still made the playoffs. They finished with the same record as last year, too, when all of the aforementioned players saw the court for most if not all of the season.

What? How? Why?

Reeve.

Minnesota Lynx head coach and general manager Cheryl Reeve, that is, who on Wednesday was named the 2019 WNBA Executive of the Year. She won an incredibly close contest for the award voted on by her fellow WNBA basketball executives; the difference between her and Las Vegas’s Dan Padover was just one point.

“I am honored to have been chosen as Executive of the Year,” Reeve said in a statement from the team. “This award is a testament to the hard work of our talented staff. I am proud of the way our staff and players came together despite much adversity. Many thanks to Glen and Becky Taylor for their unwavering commitment to our team.”

While Reeve and her staff began rebuilding their team after winning their most recent title in 2017, they did the majority of their work in this past offseason. There are many factors that played a role in the Lynx’s success this year – and in their boss’s honor for it. Here are four:

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