The Minnesota Lynx punched their playoff ticket weeks ago, but head coach/president Cheryl Reeve believes the upcoming WNBA season pause before postseason play offers something even more valuable: time.

The WNBA is taking a 17-day break from Monday-September 16 to accommodate the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany. Napheesa Collier is among Lynx players taking part. All-Stars Olivia Miles and Courtney Williams, along with veteran Kayla McBride, are not. In other words, it’ll be an extended break for most of the team.

After back-to-back practice days heading into Sunday’s game at Atlanta, Reeve called the work “really beneficial,” saying the break from the regular game grind allowed coaches and players to focus on details that often get lost during a packed schedule.

“Doing little things well really matters,” Reeve said. “We had a chance to drill down a little further on some things that we’ve had time to do. Hopefully it builds confidence.”

***Click the video box above to watch Cheryl Reeve’s media session after practice on Friday***

The timing is unique. Every playoff spot has already been claimed, leaving teams to jockey only for seeding when play resumes after the FIBA World Cup break. The Lynx are in position to be the No. 1 overall seed, able to secure with a win Sunday.

Reeve acknowledged that’s uncommon in a league where postseason races typically come down to the wire.

“It feels like it’s been a while since this many games remained and all the playoff teams were already determined,” she said.

Still, Reeve isn’t interested in debating whether the lengthy pause is good or bad.

“It’s a thing,” she said with a laugh. “Whatever hand you’re dealt, you do what the time allows you to do.”

Rest, reflection, and a little air in her bike tires

For Reeve personally, the next few weeks won’t be all basketball.

She joked that one of her biggest priorities is putting air in the tires of her bicycle and finally finding time to ride.

Beyond that, she’ll be helping her son begin middle school, potentially making a trip to New Jersey to see her mother, who recently celebrated her 87th birthday, and perhaps even squeezing in a visit to the Minnesota State Fair.

But basketball won’t disappear entirely.

“A lot of planning goes into how you spend the days that you have,” Reeve said. “I call it lesson-planning. Where do we have to get better? How do we do it?”

The first week of the break, she said, will largely be devoted to giving players time with family and friends before shifting attention toward preparations for the final four regular-season games and the playoffs beyond.

Injury watch: Courtney Williams

Veteran guard Courtney Williams remains day-to-day after suffering a right foot injury last week in the win at Washington, though Reeve said Williams participated in portions of practice on Friday.

With the extended break immediately following Sunday’s game, the Lynx are taking a cautious approach.

“We’re going to try to make sure that if she’s on the court Sunday, it’s the right thing,” Reeve said. “We’ll learn a little bit more tomorrow.”

Reeve admitted there is logic in holding Williams out, given the recovery time available, but a final decision had not been made.

Optimism around new ownership

Finally, Reeve offered comments on the Stad family’s move into majority ownership of the Timberwolves and Lynx. Marc and Elisa Stad were limited partners before agreeing to become the new majority owners last week.

After speaking extensively with members of the ownership group, Reeve said her biggest takeaway is their enthusiasm and commitment to supporting both franchises.

“The confidence and the resources and the way the teams are going to be supported, that was the biggest message,” Reeve said.

She added that the family’s passion for the teams and willingness to be actively involved should be “a real positive” for both organizations as they move forward.

For now, though, the focus remains on Sunday’s game and using an unusual pause in the calendar to prepare for what the Lynx hope is a deep postseason run.

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