The next competition of note for Team USA women’s basketball is the 2026 FIBA World Cup, which is set to tip-off place 10 months from now, in September 2026.

Kara Lawson invites Caitlin Clark to Team USA

Fortunately for Team USA fans, Reeve is no longer coaching the women’s national team, and her successor — Duke head coach Kara Lawson — who she was named to lead Team USA a couple of months ago. And one of her first acts as new head coach, is to right Reeve’s most egregious wrong.

Because when camp opens for Team USA in Durham next month, Caitlin Clark will be in the house, along with fellow rising young superstars Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins..

Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and JuJu Watkins will be among the 10 players making their USA Basketball senior national team camp debuts next month, when the storied basketball program hosts a training camp at Duke University from Dec. 12-14.

ESPN

Last WNBA season, Clark — who won Rookie of the year in 2024 — watched as her Indiana Fever lost in the WNBA Finals, despite her being injured for much of the season and all of the postseason. Caitlin Year played in just 13 games in 2025.

Minnesota native, 2025 1st overall pick, and reigning Rookie of the Year winner Paige Bueckers will get her first shot at the Team USA roster, as well, as will Angel Reese and Juju Watkins.

MN Lynx building towards 2026

The Minnesota Lynx finished 2025 with a 34-10 record, which was the best record in the WNBA. They have won the Western Conference each of the past two seasons, but have not claimed a Finals trophy to show for it.

Thankfully for Minnesota, the Lynx landed the second overall pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. Azzi Fudd (Iowa State), Awa Fam (Spain), Olivia Miles (TCU), Lauren Betts (UCLA), and Flau’jae Johnson (LSU) are among the top prospects.

picking SECOND. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/ipSioYDbbh

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) November 24, 2025

In 2026, the MN Lynx will look to rebound from an unceremonious playoff exit in 202, which ended with Reeve being suspended after attacking officials in on of the final games of the year, after superstar Napheesa Collier was dropped to the ground on a late game steal that sent the HOF PoBO off her rocker.

In the days that followed, Minnesota’s MVP-contender spoke out against the league and their guidance for referees. Unfortunately, it did not result in another chance to win playoff games.

Instead of choosing to stick and pick, Lynx president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve completed a trade with the Chicago Sky that moved Minnesota back a single spot. The Sky selected Reese at No. 7, before the Lynx drafted Alissa Pili at No. 8.

In the time since, Minnesota has moved on from Pili, due to a lack of production and effectiveness. In hindsight, they essentially got nothing out of that draft pick. Meanwhile, Reese has led the league in rebounds each of the past two seasons. And yet, it appears Reeve was still right to avoid the controversial star out of LSU.

Angel Reese continues to be problem Cheryl Reeve expected

There have certainly been times where Cheryl Reeve’s pettiness seems misguided. Virtually any chance she has to ignore Caitlin Clark, she will. There have been other times where she is absolutely right. And as it turns out, Angel is proving to be a nightmare in Chicago.

Last week, Reese was suspended by the Chicago Sky for comments she made publicly to the Chicago Tribune.

I’m not settling for the same s−−− we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.

Angel Reese – Chicago Tribune

She went on to name teammates by name, trash Sky practice facilities and point fingers at different members of the front office/coaching staff. Then, when her suspension ended, Reese refused to take the court, sitting out the final three games of the season.

Chicago Sky planning to keep Reese around?

Despite the sideshow, general manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters Friday that “until I hear differently, that’s the direction we’re going to move, is that she’s on the roster.”

Angel is an ascending young talent in this league who’s had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago. Obviously we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates, she spoke publicly. We moved on as a team. She’s a special player. And I have good conversations with Angel daily, with her team daily. They’re constant, and they’re productive.

Jeff Pagliocca – ESPN

Related: MN Lynx Star Joins Rarefied Air With Latest Ranking

Despite Reese’s presence on the team, Chicago was again not good this season. Tyler Marsh’s team finished 10-34, tied for the worst record in the league. Reese was named an All-Star and played in 30 games.

She averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Her 45.8% from the field was a significant step up, but she turned the ball over 3.9 times per game.

When, after just two seasons, your general manager needs to make public comments surrounding whether or not you’ll remain on the team, that’s problematic. It also reveals why Cheryl Reeve wanted nothing to do with Angel Reese two years ago.

Angel Reese Fit with MN Lynx never made

It’s not as though Minnesota Lynx head coach is averse to talent. Of course she would have preferred to have a player like Reese as opposed to Pili in a vacuum. The problem is that Reese brings all of the other antics with her.

The Lynx were a direct opposite reflection of Chicago this year. They finished with a 34-10 record to lead the WNBA. Superstar Napheesa Collier should be in line for her first MVP award after winning Defensive Player of the Year honors last season.

Teammates Natisha Hiedeman and Courtney Williams have drawn a fan following with their StudBudz excitement. Reeve has the complete embodiment of a team working in Minnesota. They are looking to avenge an ugly outcome in the WNBA Finals this season, and will hopefully win their first WNBA Championship since 2017.

Napheesa Collier won Defensive Player of the Year honors last season, and she’s on her way to league MVP this summer, averaging a career-best 23.6 points per game this season, earning Collier the 2nd most All-Star votes of any player in the league, outside of Caitlin Clark.

Unfortunately, Saturday night was not Minnesota’s best. Just a couple nights after beating up on the LA Sparks out West, the Lynx flew into Chicago and fell 87-81 to the Sky, behind Angel Reese’s 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota Lynx waive Alissa Pili

A mere hours after the MN Lynx took their fourth loss of the season, Cheryl Reeve turned around and waived 2024 first round pick (8th overall) Alissa Pili, who had been sitting on the end of their bench all season.

NEWS: Lynx Waive Forward Alissa Pili. https://t.co/gXkdGI9YI5

— Lynx PR (@Lynx_PR) July 13, 2025

Why is the timing of Pili’s dismissal ironic? Because it comes just over one year after Cheryl Reeve went out of her way to avoid drafting Angel Reese, a failed plan that landed Pili in Minnesota. Entering the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Minnesota Lynx held the seventh overall pick.

The obvious pick was Angel Reese, who fell right into Reeve’s lap. But instead of selecting one of the most popular and polarizing players to ever come out of women’s college basketball, the Lynx’ president of basketball operations traded back one spot with the Sky, who selected Reese.

Minnesota then took Pili out of Utah… and the rest is history. As a rookie last season, Pili appeared in just 22 games with the Lynx. She never cracked the starting lineup and averaged a paltry 2.4 points per game. This season wasn’t much better. Pili played in 14 of the Lynx 22 game, averaging 1.9 points and 1.2 rebounds.

Related: Minnesota Lynx Passed on Angel Reese Because Cheryl Reeve Did Not Want to Coach Her

The Lynx have a difficult rotation to crack, as a team that went to the WNBA Finals last season. But I know one player that would. Her name is Angel Reese, and while she is far from a perfect basketball player, the polarizing 23-year-old is currently leading the league in rebounds, at 12.8 per game.

What could have been for MN Lynx with Angel Reese?

She also, single-handedly, puts fans in the stands too, something most WNBA teams need help with. Angel Reese is already a two-time All-Star, and she finished runner up last season for Rookie of the Year, behind Caitlin Clark.

Reese is an exceptional defender, at 6’3″. She also racks up 13.0 rebounds per game during her young career. Unfortunately, she can’t shoot, but that has gotten better in year two, improving from 39.1% FG as a rookie to 43.4% this season.

Angel Reese out here hitting pull up middys off the dribble man. WTF going on lmao

pic.twitter.com/MFwXNr468w

— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) July 12, 2025

The Lynx head coach and PoBO has backed away from personalities that overshadow her. She even helped to keep Caitlin Clark off the Team USA Olympic roster last summer. But Reeve’s decision to avoid Reese in last year’s draft could go down as one of her worst as Minnesota Lynx head decision-maker.

Related: MN Lynx PoBO Cheryl Reeve was 100% Right About Angel Reese

Maybe Reese would never have worked in Minnesota, and thus it’s better off she never ended up here. because But even if that hypothetical were true, who’s fault is that? Reese has plenty of warts as a player, but she isn’t getting cut 36 games into her career either.

A major part of being a great executive and/or coach is an ability to recognize, develop and get the best out of whatever talent you get your hands on. On paper, the Minnesota Lynx would be an even better team this season with Angel Reese on the club… but Cheryl Reeve wasn’t interested.

And with their newly acquired No. 7 overall draft pick, the Sky selected LSU post player, Angel Reese, who went on to finish second in 2024 Rookie of the Year voting, behind only Caitlin Clark. Minnesota picked Alissa Pili, another post out of Utah.

As history tells us, the MN Lynx went on to fall in five games to the New York Liberty in the WNBA Finals, just short of what would’ve been their fifth WNBA title.

Remember when the Minnesota Lynx passed on drafting Angel Reese?

After the draft, Reeve suggested that Angel Reese wouldn’t have been a good fit on the Minnesota roster. Then, in an article he wrote in mid-August 2024, local columnist Patrick Reusse (Star Tribune) revealed what everyone already knew. The real reason why Reeve traded out of the No. 7 overall pick was quite literally to avoid Reese.

Which begs the question: could Reeve, also the team president, really afford to not draft talent because she didn’t want to coach someone? That is what occurred in the mid-April draft, when she traded down to avoid taking Angel Reese with the seventh pick, leaving the Lynx to take a flier on Pili at No. 8.

Patrick Reusse – Star Tribune

Could Angel Reese have changed that outcome for the Lynx? Maybe not, but I did argue at the time that, had Reeve drafted Reese, life would’ve been better for the Minnesota Lynx future.

Related: Minnesota Lynx Passed on Angel Reese Because Cheryl Reeve Did Not Want to Coach Her

After all, Minnesota needed help on the interior and Reese was one of the top post players in the draft, not to mention her starpower being second only to her 2024 draft classmate, Caitlin Clark. In fact, I all but called for Cheryl’s job.

If Cheryl Reeve can’t make objective decisions that make the Minnesota Lynx (and Team USA) better, then why does she have her job? I thought this was about winning?

Me – August 17, 2024

Now here we are, one year later. The Minnesota Lynx are off to a 3-0 start in the 2025 WNBA regular season. Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are 0-2, following two blowout losses to start their summer.

Turns out… Angel Reese is not very good at basketball

How was Angel Reese in those first two games? Well… that depends on how you judge a basketball player. If you want lots of rebounds and muscle out of your post players, Reese always provides that. After averaging 13.2 rebounds per game as a rookie, Reese is up to 14.5 rebounds per game in year two.

But if you want your Minnesota Lynx stars to do anything else… like dribble, shoot or pass… then you might want to find another WNBA player to follow, because Angel can do none of those things.

She is averaging 7 points per game, nearly half of what she did as a rookie, and she’s shooting 22.7% from the field. Most of Reese’s shots come from within 5 feet of the basket. What does 22.7% from layup distance look like, you ask? Pretty much how you’d imagine.

Angel Reese with her signature move 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/K3slCimkq8

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) May 23, 2025

Angel Reese is BACK. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/h0Mm6DAmH8

— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) May 17, 2025

Those who follow MSF may know that I am the biggest Cheryl Reeve critic in Minnesota. But I am also willing to raise my hand and admit when I am wrong. So, I have come here today to apologize to the MN Lynx PoBO. Because I missed the mark big time on this one.

MN Lynx PoBO Cheryl Reeve was right… I was wrong

Cheryl, you were right. I was wrong. You were smart, I was dumb. While it’s likely Angel Reese would have put the Minnesota Lynx into the news cycle more often — In fact, there’s a 100% chance of that — it wouldn’t have been worth watching her try to play basketball on a regular basis.

When it comes to Reese, Reeve was right to do everything within her power to avoid drafting the LSU bricklayer, who might be the most unskilled basketball star in the game’s history.

In fact, I’d argue passing on Reese was the best thing this organization has done since winning its last WNBA championship. So you may not hear me say this often. But Cheryl deserves lots of credit here, because not every decision maker in her position would have had the instinct she did on Reese.

This isn’t the dominant Lynx squad of yesteryear, though. We’ll see how the post-Olympic part of the season unfolds. But as of today, Minnesota has the third-best odds (FanDuel) to win the WNBA Championship, at +800. Those are longshot odds, compared to heavy favorites, the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty (both +155).

If only the Minnesota Lynx could have found a more impactful player in the first round of the most recent WNBA Draft, where they held the No. 8 overall pi…

Remember that time the Minnesota Lynx passed on Angel Reese?

Ope, hold that thought. I’m being told the Lynx actually started the 2024 Draft with the No. 7 overall pick. That they actually traded down one spot, to No. 8, where they drafted Alissa Pili, out of USC.

Who did the Lynx swap picks with? The Chicago Sky. Who did the Sky draft? Oh, just one of two far and away frontrunners for WNBA Rookie of the Year. You may have heard of her? Angel Reese, out of LSU… ring a bell?

Highlights from Angel Reese’s All-Star debut. #skytown #wnba

pic.twitter.com/QBoJqxd2ni

— Sky Lead (@SkyLeadSM) July 21, 2024

After the draft, Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve sidestepped questions about why she passed on Reese, but alluded to the idea that the 2023 National Champion may not have been a good fit on the Minnesota roster.

Angel Reese (6’3″) plays down low. It’s not like the Lynx are stacked with talent in the paint. Napheesa Collier (6’1″) is their best player (19.9 PTS, 10.3 REB), but she is a tweener SF, PF. In their last game vs the Mystics, Alanna Smith started at center. She’s averaging 11.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. That’s pretty good… but not as good as Reese.

Related: Paige Bueckers Chose UConn Over Being MN’s Caitlin Clark… But Don’t Tell That to the Internet

Even if Reese had to come off the bench in Minnesota, or fight for minutes, it’s impossible to argue the impact she would have made. Angel would have provided them more headlines, airtime and attention. That’s both nationally and locally. But more importantly, she would have given them more talent, both now and in the future.

Lynx passed on Reese because Cheryl Reeve didn’t want to coach her

Reese is averaging 13.2 points and 12 rebounds (WNBA leader) with the Chicago Sky, quickly becoming one of the most powerful post players in the league. So… why in the world would the Lynx pass on this girl?

Well, longtime local columnist, media personality and insider Patrick Reusse (Star Tribune) reported in Saturday’s paper that it’s because Cheryl Reeve didn’t want to coach her.

Which begs the question: could Reeve, also the team president, really afford to not draft talent because she didn’t want to coach someone? That is what occurred in the mid-April draft, when she traded down to avoid taking Angel Reese with the seventh pick, leaving the Lynx to take a flier on Pili at No. 8.

Patrick Reusse – Star Tribune

This wouldn’t be the first time that Reeve proved she has something against young, talented rookies, who could possibly outshine the stars she has on her current team. Not only does Cheryl run the Minnesota Lynx, but she is head coach and top decision maker for Team USA, too.

Nothing new for Cheryl…

Reeve, Collier and the rest of the veteran USA team took home the Gold Medal from the Paris Olympics this week, but it was much harder than it should have been. Part of that was due to an obvious decline in play from veterans like Diana Taurasi, who averaged one point per game in France… lol.

Related: Team USA Has to Fire Cheryl Reeve, Right?

Those same veterans were picked over Angel Reese and the most popular women’s basketball player of all time, phenom rookie, Caitlin Clark. At the time, Cheryl Reeve scoffed at the idea of picking two rookies over all the talent assembled for Team USA. In retrospect, that’s even funnier than it was back then.

If Cheryl Reeve can’t make objective decisions that make the Minnesota Lynx (and Team USA) better, then why does she have her job? I thought this was about winning?