Liberty coach Sandy Brondello responds to ‘punk-ass team’ comments from Lynx: ‘Of course we have a rivalry’

If the reigning champion New York Liberty and league-leading Minnesota Lynx didn’t already have an official rivalry, they do now thanks to recent comments from Lynx guard Courtney Williams and Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. 

Earlier this month, the Lynx signed second-year guard Jaylyn Sherrod, who had been waived by the Liberty in order to faciliate Emma Meesseman’s arrival. Shortly after signing with the Lynx, Sherrod appeared on a StudBudz stream with Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, and Williams said that Sherrod was “With the good guys now. She left that punk-ass team and she with the good guys now. Straight up, believe it.”

Brondello addressed Williams’ comment Monday ahead of the fourth and final regular-season meeting between the two teams on Tuesday night. 

“I heard about the ‘punk-ass’ thing,” Brondello said. “I saw Jaylyn and I saw Natisha Hiedeman and I said ‘Who’s calling us a punk-ass team?’ And she said, ‘Not me, not me!’ I think rivalries are great. Do we have a rivalry? They play it down. Of course we have a rivalry, and it’s great for the league. I don’t know why they play it down. We don’t like each other, that’s just how it is.”

The Liberty defeated the Lynx last season to win their first championship in one of the most competitive and entertaining Finals matchups in league history. Two of the five games went the distance, including the controversial winner-take-all Game 5. Breanna Stewart forced overtime with two free throws in the closing seconds of regulation on a debatable foul call on Alanna Smith. 

After the loss, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve went off on the officials and said that the title was “stolen” from her team. Napheesa Collier, meanwhile, said she would “never get over” the “unjust” defeat. 

Earlier this month, Reeve downplayed the idea of a rivalry between her team and the Liberty. “I don’t think we’re there yet, but the league says we are.” However, when Meesseman chose the Liberty instead of the Lynx back in July, Reeve didn’t hesitate to throw a jab. “She made the wrong choice,” Reeve said. Brondello also touched on that situation Monday, saying the Lynx need to “get over it.” 

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve says Emma Meesseman made ‘wrong choice’ by joining Liberty instead of Minnesota

Jack Maloney

The Lynx, who have a 6½-game lead in the race for the No. 1 seed, have won all three games against the Liberty this season, though injuries have made it difficult to truly assess the matchups. Liberty star Breanna Stewart hasn’t played in any of the first three contests and will be sidelined again on Tuesday due to a right knee bone bruise, while MVP frontrunner Napheesa Collier has missed the last two matchups and will also be out Tuesday due to an ankle sprain. 

Both Stewart and Collier should be back for the playoffs, though a Finals rematch no longer looks like guarantee. While the Lynx are cruising to the No. 1 seed, the Liberty are stuck in third place due to a parade of injuries this season and are just ½ a game up on the fourth-place Phoenix Mercury and fifth-place Las Vegas Aces. If the Liberty are the No. 4 or 5 seed in the playoffs, they would meet the Lynx in the semifinals — assuming both teams advanced that far. 

The Lynx have been the best team in the league this season by far, but a healthy Liberty group may still be the title favorite, especially with Meesseman on board. Hopefully they’ll have a chance to settle the rivalry on the court this postseason with all key figures involved.