Just days after the Liberty fell to the Mercury in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, New York decided to move on from head coach Sandy Brondello. Though Brondello led the Liberty to their first championship title a year ago, they opted not to renew her contract, effectively relieving her of the position.
Aces' coach Becky Hammon, who coached against Brondello in the 2023 WNBA Finals, shared her thoughts on the Liberty's surprising decision before Las Vegas' upcoming semifinal matchup against the Fever on Tuesday.
"I didn't love it for Sandy, I have to be honest," Hammon said, via Alexa Philippou of ESPN. "She's just won a championship. She's won in other places, and I know her to be a quality coach and a quality person. Those are rare sometimes to get that mixture of qualities as a head coach."
The Liberty did fall short of expectations this season, but it was still unexpected to see Brondello go, especially coming off of back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances and a title a year ago. Brondello has won a championship during each of her head coaching tenures with the Liberty and Mercury, and her teams have made the postseason every season. Even Liberty star Breanna Stewart muttered "What the f---" when a reporter asked what she'd say to anyone who believes Brondello shouldn't return as head coach over the weekend.
Ultimately, the Liberty decided it was time to move on from the winningest coach in franchise history, and will now begin the search for their next head coach.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aces' Becky Hammon Reacts to Liberty Surprisingly Moving on From Sandy Brondello.