Katie Smith just got a promotion.
The Lynx assistant has been promoted to assistant head coach by general manager and head coach Cheryl Reeve.
The Lynx and Reeve also announced that staff of Smith, Plenette Pierson and Rebekkah Brunson will return intact for the 2022 season.
In a release from the team, Reeve called the decision to promote Smith — a two-time WNBA champion as a player entering her ninth year of coaching — an easy one.
"She is an extremely talented coach who has garnered the trust and admiration of players and staff alike,'' Reeve said. "Katie has played an important part in our success over the last two seasons.''
Reeve has solidified her coaching staff days before free-agency negotiations can begin this weekend.
Smith is a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer. She joined the Lynx coaching staff before the 2020 season after two seasons as head coach of the New York Liberty. In two years with the Lynx, Minnesota has posted a 36-18 record and secured a top-four playoff seed both seasons.
"It is an honor to be promoted within the Lynx organization,'' Smith said.
