Linda Cohn: Caitlin Clark responds to coaches she respects, citing Cheryl Reeve
The short version
- Linda Cohn says Caitlin Clark is coachable but must respect her head coach, citing Cheryl Reeve's style
- Clark and Reeve clashed during Indiana's win over Minnesota but later shared smiles
- Clark and Reeve's relationship traces back to the 2024 Olympic roster debate and the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game
- Visible moments between Clark and Stephanie White, and assistant Briann January, fueled outside speculation
- Cohn admitted she expected Stephanie White's arrival to work out with Clark
ESPN's Linda Cohn says Clark is coachable but needs to respect her head coach, pointing to Clark's rapport with Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve.
Linda Cohn believes the connection between Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve illustrates the kind of coaching relationship that could get the most out of the Indiana Fever guard. Her comments came after a tense exchange between Clark and Reeve during Indiana's victory over Minnesota, a moment that later gave way to the two smiling together.
The history between Clark and Reeve dates to the 2024 Olympic roster debate, a period when Reeve faced repeated questions about Clark being left off Team USA. Clark subsequently chose Reeve as one of her coaches for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Their latest interaction unfolded amid ongoing outside conversation this season about Clark and the Fever's coaching staff.
Appearing on Keep The Vision with Maurice Drake Jr., Cohn pushed back on the idea that Clark is hard to coach, arguing instead that the guard needs to hold her head coach in high regard. She suggested Reeve's demanding style would actually suit Clark well.
"Can you imagine Caitlin Clark playing for a coach like that? Because even if Cheryl Reeve does the tough love on her, Caitlin respects someone like that," Cohn said. "That's the difference. And she is coachable for people like, 'Oh, Linda, Maurice, you're always defending Caitlin Clark. She can't have her best friend as a coach.' That's not what we're saying. She's very coachable. But the person that coaches her, she has to respect. She can't be, meaning Caitlin, have the better basketball mind than the head coach."
Cohn's remarks arrived after several episodes involving Clark and Fever head coach Stephanie White that stirred outside speculation about how the two get along. When Indiana fell to the Washington Mystics, cameras caught Clark appearing frustrated during a sideline conversation with White. In the following game, Fever assistant coach Briann January was seen in an animated discussion with Clark.
Neither moment proved any genuine rift, and Clark has already rejected storylines about the Fever staff, saying much of the public discussion is "not always based in reality."
Cohn also acknowledged she had anticipated a better fit between White and Clark. "And I didn't see it coming. I got to be honest with you – I don't know – I thought when Stephanie White came over, I thought, it was going to work. I did. And then it didn't," she said.
Cohn's comparison reflects her own view rather than any insight into Clark's private thinking. Indiana now turns its attention to the playoffs, where Clark and White can shift the spotlight back to basketball. The Fever visit the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, September 27 at 4:00 PM EDT at Michelob ULTRA Arena, with the game airing on ABC.
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