The Minnesota Lynx have exceeded all preseason expectations and find themselves with a strong chance of winning a championship. Why it matters: With the playoffs beginning Sunday, a fifth championship on Cheryl Reeve's resume would make a strong argument that she's the greatest coach in WNBA history.

After their best regular season in franchise history (30-10), Napheesa Collier and Cheryl Reeve earned honors from the league. Collier was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year and finished second in MVP voting. Reeve was named the AP Coach of the Year.

Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson was the unanimous pick for AP Player of the Year and was also the unanimous pick for the WNBA's MVP Award; Collier finished in second place with 66 second-place votes and one third-place vote. Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark was the unanimous pick for AP Rookie of the Year.

Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has attributed much of the team’s successful 2024 season to the stellar play of forward Napheesa Collier. Leading the charge on both ends of the court, Collier has been a cornerstone for Minnesota’s defense and offense,

Napheesa Collier scored a playoff career-high 38 points and the Minnesota Lynx blew a 23-point lead before rallying late to beat the Phoenix Mercury 102-95 on Sunday in Game 1 of a best-of-three series.

Wilson became the first player in league history to score more than 1,000 points in a season, and she averaged a record 26.9 points. Clark broke the league's single-season assist mark and scored the most points ever for a rookie.

• Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. She helped Minnesota finish second in the regular season with a team that was picked ninth in the preseason. The Lynx won the Commissioner’s Cup and finished the regular season with 13 wins in their final 15 games.

The Minnesota Lynx's Napheesa Collier was awarded Defensive Player of the Year honors and Cheryl Reeve is AP Coach of the Year.