Liberty coach Sandy Brondello fired: Next candidates for New York

Less than a year after winning the first WNBA championship in franchise history, the New York Liberty are moving on from the coach who led them to the title.

In the wake of a first-round exit from the WNBA playoffs last Friday, the Liberty announced Tuesday that theywon’t be renewing the contract of head coach Sandy Brondello, who went 107-53 (.669) in four seasons with the franchise, including leading New York to the 2024 championship and back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances.

New York’s title defense was marred by injuries. The Liberty played all season without starting wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and former MVPs Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart both missed extended stretches. Even so, New York probably underperformed its talent at less than full strength, finishing with the No. 5 seed to set up a difficult first-round series against the Phoenix Mercury without the benefit of home-court advantage.

Ahead of a critical offseason for the Liberty — and the entire WNBA as a new collective bargaining agreement is negotiated — they must decide on the coach to lead them into a new era. Only one player (Leonie Fiebich) who saw more than seven minutes of action in the playoffs is under contract.

ESPN’s Katie Barnes, Kevin Pelton and Michael Voepel break down why New York made this move, who might be next on the Liberty sideline and where Brondello could land as a coaching free agent.

Why are the Liberty moving on from Brondello now?

Michael Voepel: There were rumblings during the season that Brondello might be on the hot seat, although to many observers that didn’t make sense. From the outside, it’s hard to see her four seasons in New York as anything but a success. Her tenure erased the Liberty’s championship void: first with the Commissioner’s Cup title in 2023 and then the WNBA title in 2024.

However, it’s hard to always know what goes on behind closed doors regarding team dynamics and conversations among management, coaches and players.

Some point to the injury-plagued No. 6 seed Indiana Fever still playing in the WNBA semifinals while the No. 5 seed Liberty have been eliminated. But despite the Fever’s many injuries — especially at the guard position and most importantly to Caitlin Clark — Indiana had four other players who appeared in every game this season, three of whom started each game.

Between injuries and players at overseas competition, the Liberty didn’t have as much continuity in their lineup throughout the season as expected. And the losses of Laney-Hamilton (injury) and Kayla Thornton (taken in the expansion draft by Golden State) detracted from New York’s defense and depth compared to 2024.

Ultimately, the Liberty management didn’t think the 2025 Liberty accomplished what it expected, and Brondello took the fall.

What’s next for the Liberty?

Katie Barnes: The Liberty front office might have to do some damage control with players. Nearly the entire starting five will be unrestricted free agents, including Stewart. When asked about Brondello’s future following New York’s exit from the WNBA playoffs last week, Stewart unequivocally expressed support for Brondello.

“She has our back, and we have hers,” Stewart said. “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 position possible. So we’re not going to be a team that points fingers. There’s a lot of us that could have done better this season.”

Point guard Natasha Cloud added: “Every player loves her … I think there should be a lot more respect, and that can be said to our fans, too. She just brought you a first championship ever to this organization. Y’all better put some f—ing respect on her name.”

Of course, it’s possible there was plenty of support in the locker room for this decision, but in an offseason full of uncertainty with this roster, explaining this decision amid the desire to retain current talent and recruit new players will be paramount.

Who are potential candidates for the Liberty head coaching job?

Kevin Pelton: The most interesting candidate might already have been on New York’s bench this season. Assistant coach Sonia Raman has a résumé that’s broadly similar to that of WNBA Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase before she was hired by the Golden State Valkyries last year, including experience as an NBA assistant coach.

Raman spent three years with the Memphis Grizzlies and has head coaching experience, albeit at the Division III level with MIT. It’s possible one reason the Liberty made this move now is because other teams — including the Seattle Storm, who announced Sunday they’re not renewing the contract of coach Noelle Quinn — could have interest in Raman.

Other assistants who could make the leap to head coach include Rebekkah Brunson of the Minnesota Lynx, Briann January of the Indiana Fever and Kristi Toliver of the Phoenix Mercury, all of whom are currently active in the WNBA semifinals.

If New York wants a more experienced candidate, the Liberty’s financial resources could allow them to attract a higher level of candidate than we’ve seen jump to the WNBA in recent years. Jenny Boucek of the Indiana Pacers and James Wade of the Toronto Raptors are experienced former WNBA head coaches now serving as NBA assistants whom New York might try to woo. And the Liberty could reasonably pitch higher-level college head coaches.

Convincing three-time national champion Dawn Staley — a finalist when the Mercury hired Nate Tibbetts — to leave South Carolina would be a long shot at best, but USC’s Lindsay Gottlieb and Duke’s Kara Lawson would surely be top targets based on their professional experience as assistants in the NBA.

Voepel: As the WNBA expands, the pool of coaching candidates has become more diverse and interesting, as it includes coaches with many different experiences. The success of the Atlanta Dream in Karl Smesko’s first season is an example; he spent his career in the college game before joining the WNBA this year. His transition likely makes the WNBA more attractive to other college coaches.

And nearly 30 years after the WNBA’s launch, more former players who spent many years in the league are now in the coaching ranks. Along with the candidates Kevin mentioned, consider Lynx assistant Lindsay Whalen, who also was previously a college head coach. Whalen might not be ready to move now, but she is representative of Hall of Fame players in the coaching ranks.

All that said, there also is understandable concern that as of now, there are no Black women in head coaching positions in a league where Black women make up the majority of players. Two were fired last season (Teresa Weatherspoon and Tanisha Wright) and one this season (Quinn).

Meanwhile, the Liberty fired a proven winner in Brondello, who won titles in Phoenix and New York. Do they have strong candidates already in mind? It’s not a good strategy if they let Brondello go without a good idea who her replacement will be.

What might be next for Brondello?

Pelton: Given her championship pedigree, Brondello immediately becomes the most attractive head coaching candidate. She wasn’t out of work long the last time she was let go by Phoenixafter the 2021 WNBA Finals, landing immediately with New York. If Brondello wants to take another job quickly, either the Storm or the two expansion franchises that have yet to hire head coaches (the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo) would be logical next stops.

With an expansion team, Brondello would have the opportunity to help shape the roster to her liking through free agency and the expansion draft. She would give the WNBA’s newest organizations immediate credibility with free agents as nearly all the league’s veteran players hit the market this offseason.

Still, Seattle might be the best fit for Brondello, who finished her playing career with the Storm in 2003. General manager Talisa Rhea made it clear Monday that she expects Seattle to contend for a title, potentially with a similar core to the group that finished seventh this season but beat every playoff team save Indianatwice during the regular season.

Brondello has experience coaching Storm guard Skylar Digginsfrom their time with the Mercury and could reasonably help Seattle get more out of its roster. Brondello also would bring the track record of developing Brittney Griner from a No. 1 pick into a six-time All-WNBA pick on her watch — relevant as the Storm hope to make center Dominique Malonga the centerpiece of their future.

Voepel: Brondello’s résumé is impressive, but there’s also this: She treats people with respect and brings that dynamic with her every place she goes. She can coach veterans, rookies and everyone in between equally well, and her enthusiasm for team-building and camaraderie never seems to wane. If Brondello wants to keep coaching in the WNBA, she will have opportunities. Coaches with her background, success and experience don’t become available that often.br/]