Just one year removed from winning their first WNBA championship, the New York Liberty have moved on from head coach Sandy Brondello.
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Thank you Coach Sandy, for bringing the Liberty its first championship and leaving an everlasting impact on the franchise.🏆 pic.twitter.com/cpf0pUGuuo
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) September 23, 2025
The franchise announced Tuesday it would not renew Brondello's contract, which expired at the end of the season, making her the winningest coach in Liberty history — and also the scapegoat for a title defense that fell flat.
"We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty," general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. "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."
Brondello, 56, leaves New York with a 107-53 record over four seasons, highlighted by last year's championship run. But the follow-up campaign never matched expectations. The Liberty started hot, ripping off nine straight wins, but stumbled down the stretch and ultimately finished fifth. Their season ended in the first round of the playoffs with a Game 3 loss in Phoenix on Sept. 19.
Injuries didn't help. Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones both missed extended time, and Stewart played compromised in the postseason with a knee injury. After a blowout home loss in Game 2, pressure on Brondello spiked.
Players, however, stood firmly in her corner. Stewart praised Brondello's steady leadership, while guard Natasha Cloud called her "one of the winningest coaches in this f—ing league" and insisted the locker room had her back.
Support wasn't enough. The Liberty will now begin a coaching search with competition from other open WNBA jobs in Seattle, Portland and Toronto.
Possible candidates include Liberty assistant Sonia Raman, Fever assistant Brian January and Baylor's Nikki Collen.
Brondello, who also won a championship as head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 2014, departs with her reputation as one of the league's most respected leaders intact — even if New York decided it was time for a new voice.
