If ever there was a season in which it might have been okay to doubt the Minnesota Lynx, it was this one. The team began the 2026 season without Napheesa Collier and Dorka Juhász, who have both been out battling injuries. The two players are crucial components for the Lynx, and many people believed the team might be ruled out of title contention if they were missing.
Well, just like she always does, Cheryl Reese has (so far) proved all doubters wrong. When faced with roster disruptions that might have sent another coach into a panic, Reeve began putting together a team that is leading the league with a 10-2 record—and that's showing no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
The way the Lynx is performing is all the more impressive when you factor in the fact that the team also lost Alanna Smith, Jessica Shepherd, and Natisha Hiedenman during free agency, and Bridget Carleton was drafted to the Portland Fire as part of the team's expansion draft.
Olivia Miles ended up in the best possible spot
Reeve also made the decision to draft Olivia Miles as the No. 2 pick in this year's WNBA Draft—and she's relied on Miles heavily to help run the floor. That's an atypical move for Reeve, who hasn't always shown a willingness to give rookies serious floor time, but Miles has turned out to be exactly what Minnesota needed.
Miles currently leads the WNBA in win shares (she's sitting at 2.2—the next closest person is A'ja Wilson, who is at 1.9). She's the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, and she's by and large outperforming the rest of her draft class.
Per Yahoo Sports, Miles is performing so well that she could join truly elite company this season and become only the fifth player to average at least 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal per game. The four players who have done so are Candace Parker, Satou Sabally, Caitlin Clark, and Sabrina Ionescu.
If anyone has noticed how well Miles is playing, it's Reeve herself. She told reporters earlier this month that she considers Miles a generational talent, after initially praising Miles for having a "generational skill" when she was drafted.
The skill Reeve was speaking of at the time was Miles' passing, an ability that has allowed Courtney Williams to move back to her natural position on the floor and that has Miles ranked among the best in the league in terms of assists.
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