{"id":60967,"date":"2025-07-13T01:03:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/60967\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T01:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T01:03:10","slug":"first-ownership-change-in-lynx-history-is-official-now-what","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/60967\/","title":{"rendered":"First ownership change in Lynx history is official \u2014 Now what?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The press conference<\/a> \u2014 held at the Thomas & Mack Center, the center of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and moderated by play-by-play voice of the Timberwolves Michael Grady \u2014 felt like a typical new-era press conference. We heard a lot about what drives the enthusiasm that both Lore and Rodriguez have for their new positions. We heard about their new partner in Jump<\/a>, which Rodriguez described as an \u201cUber or Airbnb of in-arena ticketing.\u201d Lore described the whole process as \u201ca dream come true\u201d and Rodriguez said, \u201cMarc and I are obsessed to bring a winner to Minnesota.\u201d And of course, the idea to re-engage Timberwolves icon Kevin Garnett<\/a> was broached as was the inevitable plan to replace the aging Target Center with a new arena.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

From the sounds of it, their to-do list is already as long as the list of Napheesa Collier<\/a>\u2018s MVP credentials.<\/p>\n

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The Q&A portion of the press conference had an NBA-heavy slant to it. Not a single question inquired about the state of the consistent winner already in Minnesota. Almost exactly 24 hours later and 1,800 miles away, Lynx head coach and president of basketball operations Cheryl Reeve sat down for her pregame press conference before Minnesota\u2019s matinee with the Chicago Sky. Her first media appearance since Lore and Rodriguez\u2019s media debut as controlling owners.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they would have asked them something [about the] Lynx, I think you would have seen their enthusiasm for what\u2019s happening,\u201d Reeve answered when asked about the press conference. \u201cI\u2019ve appreciated their support and I\u2019m excited for what lies ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Due to the years-long transition to the Lore\/Rodriguez ownership era \u2014 from Glen and Becky Taylor, the only ownership group the Lynx have ever had \u2014 both Lore and Rodriguez have been in the building and around the team often since 2021. Reeve referred to it as a \u201crent-to-own\u201d process and didn\u2019t hesitate to endorse her team\u2019s new ownership.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first phone call I got from Marc back in 2021 when this all happened, he asked me, \u2018Why [are] the salaries in the WNBA so low?\u2019 That was our first conversation,\u201d Reeve said. \u201cI looked at my phone like I was being prank called. We\u2019ve had good conversations. Anytime I\u2019ve needed Marc or Alex, [with] a text, a phone call, they immediately respond and are involved. They\u2019ve been a part of free agency for four years now and they\u2019ve gotten to know a lot of players in the league.\u201d<\/p>\n

The question about WNBA salaries sparked the first of what\u2019s now become several positive conversations between Reeve and Lore.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Well, some think it\u2019s bad business to invest in women\u2019s sports,\u2019 and he just thought that was silly,\u201d Reeve continued. \u201cIt\u2019s like any startup, you have to invest in it. He\u2019s got ideas of where we should be. A lot of his angle is fairness. He said, \u2018In fairness, we should be doing this\u2026\u2019 and I said, \u2018Well you\u2019ll have an opportunity now, when you go to your board of governors meetings, you\u2019re going to be around some people that are like-minded, and that\u2019s a good thing. Because we didn\u2019t necessarily always have that \u2014there are more of them now. So I think that\u2019s going to bode well for the success of our league when we have ownership that are really in it for the right reasons \u2014 that are treating it like men\u2019s sports.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Locked<\/a><\/p>\n

Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24\/7\/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/a> podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.<\/p>\n

Lore and Rodriguez may not have been asked about the Lynx on Friday, but in a video also hosted by Grady and posted by the Lynx<\/a> the day the NBA Board of Governors granted their formal approval of the sale, the pair of New Yorkers spoke directly to the Lynx side of their new venture and the ways in which to support Reeve.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re excited about not messing this up \u2014 you know, we\u2019ve got a good thing going here,\u201d Lore said after a passionate declaration that they will never move the team out of Minnesota. Ever.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Marc said, I think we\u2019ve just got to stay the hell out of the way,\u201d Rodriguez added. \u201cThey\u2019ve done such a phenomenal job. We really just [need to] provide the resources for Cheryl, and the support. She\u2019s already built an absolute juggernaut here.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Thursday, the Minnesota Lynx became just the third WNBA franchise to log its 500th all-time regular season win<\/a>. On Friday, the new pair of owners made their first public appearance ahead of trying to win the next 500. Lore and Rodriguez may be new to having the controls to a WNBA franchise resting in their hands, but they do have the endorsement of the woman who\u2019s led the team<\/a> to 348 of those aforementioned 500 wins. And that is an undeniably fantastic place to start.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n