Cheryl Reeve has spent the season chasing a fifth championship. For once, her plans for a break have nothing to do with basketball.

"(Laughs) spend some time with the little guy, getting him off to school," Reeve told Andrew Dukowitz, as per his X post on August 27.

The "little guy" is her son, Oliver, whom she shares with her partner, Lynx vice president Carley Knox. For a coach known for intensity, the picture of her handling school drop-off instead of game plans is a rare glimpse into her life off the court.

As per Cyd Zeigler of Outsports, Knox has said that Oliver has never missed a Lynx game.

"Hopefully go visit family in Jersey," Reeve added on the X post by Dukowitz. "And then just plan and worry about what's next and overthink and all those things (smiling)."

That family life has become central to how Reeve talks about her career.

The Lynx VP has also spoken about the couple's efforts to show that women and LGBT people can thrive in sports. 

"We are fighting the fight for all marginalized groups," Knox said. "It's helping to raise the next generation of enlightened boys and girls."

Reeve has built one of the most decorated resumes in WNBA history, leading the Lynx to four titles while earning four Coach of the Year awards and a place in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame this past June.

Cheryl Reeve’s family life reflects her coaching philosophy

Reeve's players describe her as demanding but fair. "She's going to coach you hard, and if you're built for it, you're built for it," Courtney Williams told Pat Borzi of MinnPost in June. "She has one of the greatest basketball minds I've been around. She holds everyone accountable."

As per Kent Youngblood of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Reeve has said raising Oliver only sharpened her sense of purpose around the platform she has.

She's pointed to boys who show up to games wearing a Lindsay Whalen jersey, saying, "The most powerful thing we do is show boys strong, powerful women at a young age."

One story that Youngblood shared captures it best. Before Halloween one year, Oliver, dressed as Han Solo, briefly wanted to switch to Rey instead.

The then-three-year-old ended up sticking with Solo, but the moment stuck with Reeve. "We're just trying to make the world a better place, aren't we?" she said.

A short FIBA break won't slow down what Reeve has built in Minnesota. It just gives her a few days to be a mom and a partner before getting back to being the league's winningest coach.

What are your thoughts on head coach Cheryl Reeve's plans for the three-week FIBA break? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Rudra Dubey