New Minnesota Lynx governor Alex Rodriguez outlines ‘support' role for WNBA franchise

New York Times

15-07-2025

LAS VEGAS — Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore had to endure a grueling and long campaign to finally take control of the Minnesota Lynx, but now that they have, their plan for the WNBA franchise seems to be to leave it mostly alone.
That was the theme that Rodriguez kept harping on this month in Las Vegas as the new controlling governor of the franchise talked about the duo's plans for the team. Rodriguez and Lore took control of the Lynx and Timberwolves earlier this spring after a protracted legal duel with former owner Glen Taylor for the two organizations. Rodriguez will now serve as the governor of the Lynx while Lore will take that role with the Timberwolves.
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But as the two sat next to one another at the Thomas and Mack Center recently, they seemed in agreement that the Lynx have a good thing going and they want to let head coach and team president Cheryl Reeve continue on her way as they learn more about the league and franchise.
'Cheryl's done an incredible job,' Rodriguez said. 'I mean, she's really built a dynasty there. So our job is to give her budgets and let her run as fast as she can.'
Rodriguez said the new ownership group intends to take a similar approach to what they did for the Timberwolves over the last four years while they operated as owners-in-waiting. Rodriguez and Lore were behind the decision to bring Tim Connelly in as president of basketball operations and tried to bring energy and new hires into the fold.
The plan to change the Lynx, however, seems to be targeted toward the business side of the operation. The Lynx, unlike the Timberwolves, have a long history of success on the court. Reeve has won four WNBA titles in her time as the head coach and the Lynx nearly won another last fall.
zoned in. pic.twitter.com/50b0IlsxTx
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 14, 2025
But there has been little overlap in fan interest, according to Rodriguez. He said there is only a nine percent crossover between Lynx and Timberwolves fans.
'With the W, it's been running full speed ahead,' Rodriguez said. 'So our job is to really kind of just get out of the way. Then the business is gonna have a lot more of our hands. We're gonna roll up our sleeves, hire a CEO, bring in a person that Marc and I feel has the same capability as Tim (Connelly), so we can copy and paste what we've done in basketball and do it in business, and then we should be off to the races.'
A new arena seems to be on the agenda for the Timberwolves and Lynx. Lore and Rodriguez discussed the need to replace the 35-year-old Target Center, which is where both teams play. The Lynx will share in whatever becomes of that plan.
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Rodriguez said that there are no plans for a Lynx-specific practice facility. The WNBA has undergone an arms race in facilities over the last few years as more teams open up new practice facilities. The Lynx and Timberwolves have shared a practice facility since 2015.
'I think we're just looking at as we have two franchises, but in whatever we build there's going to be, you know, his and hers rooms,' Rodriguez said.
For now, however, Rodriguez said he intends to watch and learn, while the league is expected to see drastic change over the next few years. The WNBA and the WNBPA are negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. Nearly every veteran player will enter free agency after the 2025 season. The league will also add five new franchises, which are projected to start play by 2030.
The value of the Lynx has also likely jumped significantly since Rodriguez and Lore first contracted to buy the franchise in 2021. Rodriguez called it a 'hyper growth league.'
In Minnesota, however, stability has been a key component of its success. Reeve is a franchise pillar, and the Lynx's 18-4 record is the best in the WNBA, while Napheesa Collier might well just be the best player in the entire league (Collier was just voted as the best player in the league by her peers in The Athletic's anonymous player poll). That's what Rodriguez seems to want to lean into.
'We're very excited about this year right now, where we have an opportunity to win a title,' he said. 'Napheesa Collier is a front-runner to be MVP, and we have a fan base that's been embedded there for years and years with four titles. Cheryl has been there for about 16 years, and she's one of one. She's a Hall of Famer. She's a proven winner.'
He added: 'Honestly, the first year is really getting educated from Cheryl and (president of business operations) Carly (Knox) to let us know where we can be most helpful. But honestly, they're humming, and it's just about giving the support.'