What have you done for me lately? This is the proverbial question that hangs over every coach’s head, knowing that they are only as good as their last game. For the Liberty, a first-round exit in the WNBA playoffs was enough to part ways with Sandy Brondello, who led New York to the franchise’s first title just a year earlier. The casual cruelty of sports spares no one, not even a two-time WNBA champion coach.

“We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty,” said Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb in a statement released by the team. “Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship. We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter.”

Yes, the manner in which the Liberty were bounced from the postseason likely also factored into this decision. New York was utterly embarrassed on its home court, falling to the Mercury 86–60 in an abysmal Game 2 performance. This was followed by a lackluster Game 3 loss, in which Breanna Stewart attempted to put the team on her back (while playing through an MCL sprain) and was the only Liberty player to score in the decisive fourth quarter.

Still, the move to not renew Brondello’s contract feels like a hasty one. In her four seasons in New York, Brondello boasted a 107–53 record, making the playoffs every season, including two trips to the Finals. She also fostered a recognizable culture and—based on her players’ public statements—seemingly earned the trust of her locker room.

Following New York’s postseason ouster, Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu flanked Brondello at the podium during the team’s postgame press conference. Stewart was asked by Madeline Kenney of the New York Post about those who questioned whether Brondello should coach New York next year. Stewart, with wide eyes and an incredulous look on her face, muttered an expletive in response to the question, while Brondello smirked and Ionescu shook her head.

“To anybody that questions Sandy [Brondello] being here, this is a resilient group and she has her back and we have hers,” Stewart said. “The way that she continued to deal with the cards that she was dealt was incredible. It wasn’t easy for anybody, but she came in every day with a positive attitude and a mindset to put us in our best positions possible.”  

The cards Stewart referenced included injuries to herself, Jonquel Jones and Ionescu (among others), all of whom missed considerable time throughout the season. New York was 12–2 when its Big Three started games together, but unfortunately for Brondello and the Liberty, the trio played nearly half the amount of minutes together this regular season as they did in 2024. Brondello was forced to improvise, fielding 18 different lineups throughout the 44-game campaign. New York was also without starter Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who was essential in the squad’s title run, this season as she was sidelined with a left knee injury. After a 9–0 start, the Liberty finished the regular season with a 27–17 record and entered the playoffs as the fifth seed. This was a considerable drop-off from last year’s 32–8 championship season.

While Brondello isn’t above criticism—her resistance to rotation when a game’s momentum stalled should rightly be questioned—being let go after a season where her hands were tied is especially harsh. Detractors will point to teams that appear to do more with less and say that Brondello was the beneficiary of an embarrassment of riches. Some even argue that Brondello hindered the talent at her disposal rather than elevating it. However, the art of getting the most out of superstars and balancing a stacked roster often goes undervalued. Perhaps Brondello is actually something of a culture savant—a superstar whisperer. She is one of three WNBA coaches to win titles with two different franchises, having helped lead Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner to a championship with Phoenix in 2014 before lifting the league trophy with Stewart, Ionescu and Jones 10 years later.

Former Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello and guard Sabrina Ionescu
Brondello had the support of players, including Sabrina Ionescu (right), following the Liberty’s first-round exit on Friday. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Much of this iteration of the Liberty’s success hinged upon the chemistry between Stewart, Ionescu and Jones. The players—especially de facto team leader Stewart— deserve much of the recognition for their unselfish ethos, working as a triad rather than three stars fighting to outshine one another. Some credit, then too, should go to Brondello, who got marquee talent to buy into New York’s three-headed snake approach. How many times have we seen superteams fail spectacularly in sports? The ability to pull off this potential clash of egos and playing styles shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Brondello’s exit is the latest spin in an increasingly dizzying WNBA coaching carousel. It’s also, arguably, the highest profile one. Seven head coaches were fired after the 2024 season in a record mass exodus for the league. As the WNBA continues into uncharted territory, including continued CBA negotiations, a new media rights deal and unprecedented growth, front offices are more clued in than ever before. These types of swift coaching determinations have been commonplace in the NBA for some time. So, isn’t it a sign of growth that the WNBA is adopting the trend of strident personnel decisions? Sure. However, the phenomenon could also be a growing pain that hinders development. Only time will tell, but Brondello’s departure signals the league is firmly in a new era.

As for the Liberty, with Brondello gone, the team’s future is in flux. Stewart and Jones have expressed their interest in staying in New York. When confronted by Stewart at the team’s last postgame press conference of the year about her future plans, Ionescu replied with a timid nod and an affirmative “yeah” that she’d be back with the Liberty. How Brondello’s exit impacts those players’ decisions remains to be seen. Should all of New York’s stars return following a hectic free agency and expansion draft that includes two new teams, the benchmark will likely again be championship or bust—and Kolb will need to find a seasoned coach who can fit that bill. It’s certainly a gamble, and whether or not the Liberty return to the mountaintop, it may turn out to have been an unnecessary one. 

More WNBA on Sports Illustrated


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liberty’s Firing of Sandy Brondello Feels Like a Massive Gamble.

Test hyperlink for boilerplate