Cheryl Reeve, the no-nonsense head coach of the Minnesota Lynx, has never been one to mince words. So, when Caitlin Clark-mania swept through the WNBA like a viral TikTok dance, Reeve’s initial reaction was basically, Who cares? And honestly, in typical Reeve fashion, she couldn’t have cared less about the flood of Clark fans packing her arena for games that didn’t even involve the Lynx. “I don’t give two s**ts,” she famously told reporters in July. Yikes.
Fast forward to the end of the 2024 WNBA season, and suddenly it’s like Reeve had a basketball epiphany. Gone are the days of being salty about Clark’s Fever frenzy. Now, she’s out here calling Clark a “transcendent roadshow” and “headliner” like she’s auditioning to be Caitlin’s PR manager. It’s almost as if she’s forgotten about her mid-season rant and instead hopped on the Clark hype train—front row, waving a banner.
In a post-WNBA Finals interview, Reeve reflected on how this was one of the best years the Lynx had ever seen, fan-wise, at least. And guess who she credited for that buzz? Not a star Lynx player, but Caitlin Clark. Yes, you read that right. A player who has never suited up for Minnesota was apparently the shot in the arm the Lynx needed.
“When Caitlin Clark announced she was going to enter the draft, I remember the wave of enthusiasm that came from a player who wasn’t even going to play for the Lynx,” Reeve said. “There was a lot of excitement and momentum for the WNBA.” Translation: This kid’s hype made everyone forget we exist for a minute, but hey, it worked out for us anyway.
By the time the second half of the season rolled around, Reeve was giving Clark her flowers—and not just because Clark was making the Indiana Fever look like playoff contenders, but because her mere presence was packing arenas wherever she went. Even in Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and apparently 10,000 Clark fans, Reeve had to admit, “the buzz was palpable.”
And while Reeve’s praise for Clark might have felt like an about-face from her earlier indifference, she went all-in when asked about the Fever’s mid-August visit to the Lynx. This particular game was special, as it coincided with Maya Moore’s jersey retirement. Having two generational talents in the same building—Maya Moore and Caitlin Clark—had Reeve saying the quiet part out loud: “I wish one was playing for us—either one.”
Well, that’s a change of tune, huh?
So, in the end, Reeve’s gone from Clark critic to Clark superfan, albeit begrudgingly. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? The player Reeve initially dismissed as overhyped helped make this one of the most exciting seasons in Lynx history. It just goes to show: even when you’re not on Reeve’s radar, you might still be changing the game.
And while Reeve might still grumble about Minnesota not getting enough preseason love, there’s no denying the Caitlin Clark Effect—even if the Lynx never got their hands on her.