Breaking away from the trend in the first round of WNBA playoffs, the Minnesota Lynx became the only team to close their first round series against the Golden State Valkyries early. With a commanding 2-0 sweep of the Golden State Valkyries, Cheryl Reeve & Co. are looking to topple the Phoenix Mercury in the semifinals. The round one game did leave the number one seed with some hard-learned lessons. And now, a WNBA reporter has sensed something that points towards the Lynx’s locker room.

At one point during Game 2, the Valkyries had a sizable 17-point lead over the Lynx. Thanks to the strategies drawn by the veteran coach, Minnesota was able to overcome this deficit, including the decisive go-ahead basket with 1:24 remaining from Napheesa Collier. However, this was an ugly win. This was a “good reality check,” as she puts it. However, it was a different statement of the Lynx HC that caught the eyes of a WNBA reporter. She believes it was a subtle warning for the Minnesota locker room.

During the No Offense podcast, Zena Cada and Sabreena Merchant sat down to discuss the Lynx-Valkyries series. The conversation came to a statement from Cheryl Reeve, which she said after the 2-0 series. “At no point in time did we think that this was going to be a two-game series.” This statement from the Lynx head coach is a warning for the locker room, as per Merchant.

Giving her two cents on what it meant, she said, “I kind of interpret it as her telling her players, ‘You guys got lucky, and we did not deserve to win that game.'” But she clarifies that this comes from a place of respect for the opponents. According to the WNBA reporter, Reeve wasn’t being dismissive of the Valkyries at all, because it’s clear the Lynx have a lot of respect for what Golden State accomplished.

Collier herself said after the game that the Valkyries play hard and made the series tough, even though Minnesota has beaten them several times this season. Many of those games could have gone either way, and Golden State pushed them every time. At the same time, as the top seed, the Lynx wanted to close the series in two games to secure rest. Especially while Phoenix and New York were locked in a cross-country battle.

As Merchant clarifies, “So, to me, I think coaches are often sending messages subliminally through these press conferences. I read that as like, ‘Okay, we’re not playing a game three, but like we were this close. Literally, we were this close. And I don’t want you guys to forget that” The WNBA reporter interprets that comment made by the veteran coach as Reeve’s high expectations for her team.

And why shouldn’t she expect more from Minnesota? When other teams were struggling to find a rhythm, they were sitting comfortably at the top with 30 games won. They were the only team this season to reach a win percentage of over .700. Minnesota ended the regular season with a .773 win percentage. That’s why Reeve does not want Lynx players to forget how close they were to being forced into a game three. If that happened, they would have to endure the same grueling stretch that all other teams just went through.

While Reeve expects more from her team, she herself made a piece of history with the Golden State Valkyries series win.

Cheryl Reeve becomes the most successful coach in WNBA history

The longevity of the Minnesota coach is a feat in itself. She joined the Lynx back in 2010. And fifteen years later, she’s still here, leading her team to the top. Four-time COY, four-time WNBA champion coach, and 5-time All-Star coach are just some of the accolades in her long career. Now there is a new record joining that list: the most successful coach in the WNBA. As Minnesota won the first game against Golden State, Reeve became the all-time winningest coach.

Counting both regular season (364) and postseason (51) triumphs, she now holds 415 career wins, surpassing Mike Thibault’s 413 (379 regular season and 34 postseason). Reeve is the most successful coach in the postseason by a mile. She is leading with 51, with Sandy Brondello of New York second with 40. Here is a list of the top 10 most successful coaches in the WNBA:

(* denotes the active coaches in the WNBA)

The Minnesota Lynx head coach is ahead of the pack, which is thanks to her gritty attitude. Even after securing a win against GSV, she wants her team to do better. Why? because she knows other teams will surpass them the moment they take their foot off the gas pedal. She knows how hungry opponents on the brink of elimination are. And if there is anyone who can give the Minnesota Lynx their fifth WNBA title, it’s Cheryl Reeve. But for that, they would have to take down Phoenix in the semifinals first.