Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve speaks with Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen (L) during the first half of their WNBA Championship game one basketball game against the Atlanta Dream in the Target Center in Minneapolis October 2, 2011. REUTERS/Eric Miller

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve has been named head coach of the nine-times Olympic gold medal-winning United States women's national team, USA Basketball said on Wednesday.

The three-times Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) coach of the year was previously an assistant for the national team and will serve in her new role through 2024, overseeing the Americans' bid for gold at the Paris Games.

She takes over from Basketball Hall of Famer Dawn Staley, who led the U.S. to a seventh consecutive gold in Tokyo this year.

"Cheryl Reeve is a coach who has been successful on multiple levels of the game," said Martin Dempsey, chairperson of USA Basketball. "USA Basketball believes there is no one more qualified than Cheryl to follow Dawn Staley and continue the legacy of success that defines this program."

Reeve is one of the most decorated coaches in the WNBA, leading the Lynx to four championship titles since taking the helm in 2010.

First on Reeve's agenda will be the 2022 FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in Washington, D.C. in February.

Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York, editing by Ed Osmond

Source: Reuters

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