"She Made the Wrong Choice": Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Shares Candid Response After International Star's Decision

"She Made the Wrong Choice": Lynx Coach Cheryl Reeve Shares Candid Response After International Star's Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

As the WNBA regular season enters its home-stretch, two of the league’s flag-bearers are separated by more than 1,000 miles but little else: the defending champion New York Liberty (17–8) and Western Conference powerhouse Minnesota Lynx (22–5).

New York has leaned on a star-studded frontcourt to reclaim its early-season form, while Minnesota has ridden home-court dominance (14-1 at Target Center) to the best record in the league.

Yet this week, a comment from Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve thrust a midseason free-agency narrative into the headlines, spotlighting Emma Meesseman’s decision to sign with the Liberty and the potential title implications that follow.

On Tuesday, sideline reporter Madeline Kenney asked Reeve for her thoughts on Meesseman’s Liberty commitment, claiming, "She made the wrong choice."

I asked Cheryl Reeve what she thought about Emma Meesseman committing to the Liberty, and she said, “She made the wrong choice.”

— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 29, 2025

Meesseman, the 6-foot-4 Belgian forward and 2019 WNBA Finals MVP, stunned the league on July 21 when she committed to return to the league for the first time since 2022.

A second-round pick by the Washington Mystics in 2013, Meesseman spent seven seasons in D.C. and another with the Chicago Sky, averaging 11.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game across 238 games, guiding the Mystics to their first title in 2019 and earning Finals MVP honors.

Overseas, she has added six EuroLeague championships playing for established clubs like WBC Sparta&K, UMMC Ekaterinburg and Fenerbahçe, three consecutive EuroLeague MVP awards (2023–25) and back-to-back FIBA EuroBasket MVPs, cementing her status as a global star.

The Liberty, riding a 9-0 start before stumbling to a 17–7 mark, have lost their last two games to teams below .500 (Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings).

General manager Jonathan Kolb moved swiftly to secure Meesseman, sending the message that New York intends to run it back.

The Lynx, by contrast, entered Tuesday 22-5 off another masterful regular season.

A four-time WNBA champion as head coach (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and four-time Coach of the Year (2011, 2016, 2020, 2024), Reeve has built Minnesota’s identity on suffocating defense and depth.

Although Reeve did not elaborate beyond the comment, her blunt verdict underscores both the rivalry brewing between the Liberty and Lynx, who coincidentally play each other next on Wednesday in Minnesota.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 29, 2025, where it first appeared.