Petty Minnesota Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Has Finally Given Caitlin Clark Some Long Overdue Respect

To say Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was not a Caitlin Clark fan earlier this summer would be a massive understatement.

Earlier this season, Reeve got unnecessarily petty when she saw that a Lynx preseason game wasn’t getting hyped up to the same level as an Indiana Fever game. Now the reason was obvious to everyone - no one cares about the Lynx, they care about Clark. But pettiness and jealousy blind you to the obvious.

Furthermore, she got mad when a reporter asked her a question about Clark’s absences from the Olympic team before a Lynx-Fever game earlier this season.

"Why the hell would I answer a national team question?" Reeve said. "I'm wearing Lynx. And I'm the head coach of the national team but I'm not the chair of the committee. Anybody want to venture into anything else?"

Now, this question was fair. After all, Reeve coached the U.S. women’s Olympic team in Paris, sans Clark. Why USA basketball made this decision is beyond me, and it wasn't wrong for a reporter to ask those questions.

But Reeve’s disdain for Clark continued to shine through during that conversation.

So yeah, that’s about as spiteful as you can get towards a person.

But that all changed earlier this evening.

Reeve Actually Praised Caitlin Clark And Her Talents

Before Saturday's game between the Lynx and Clark's Indiana Fever, Reeve did nothing but praise Clark for her play and all she’s done for the WNBA, which is a massive tone shift from just a couple of months ago.

"The single best thing that she does…she plays with incredible pace," Reeve said of Clark. "Pace can get you really far, and there’s great value in that. Pace and passing…it's what makes her exceptional in my mind."

Exceptional in my mind?! What happened to Cheryl?

She just opened her eyes and saw Caitlin Clark dominating the league.

Since the international break, Clark has been on fire. She dominated a game against the Phoenix Mercury and has been playing on another level over the past couple of weeks.

Tonight against the Lynx, Clark showed off the two traits that Reeve praised her for in the early going. With her great pace, she dropped guard Courtney Williams with a slick crossover.

Then, she selflessly set up Kelsey Mitchell for a three.

And of course, she was drilling threes from wayyyy downtown.

Clark may have had extra motivation to perform well because the Lynx were retiring Maya Moore’s number, and she was Clark’s childhood hero. 

But either way, Clark has won Reeve over with her exceptional play. Two months ago, that might have seemed impossible.

Fortunately for Reeve, her team emerged victorious in the matchup, 90-80.