A year after hoisting their first WNBA title, the New York Liberty are making a drastic change.
The Liberty will not be renewing the contract of head coach Sandy Brondello, the team announced Tuesday.
The decision to part ways with Brondello comes after the Liberty suffered a first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Phoenix Mercury last week.
“We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty. 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,” general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. “We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter.”
Brondello coached the Liberty to two straight WNBA Finals and finally got the franchise over the ump last year, beating the Minnesota Lynx in five games. Over her four seasons with the team, the Liberty never missed the playoffs.
Overall, she finishes her time in New York with a 107-53 record. Her 66.9 winning percentage is the best in franchise history.
After the Liberty were eliminated from the playoffs last week, superstar forward Breanna Stewart was asked about the possibility of Brondello not returning for the 2026 season.
“To anybody that kind of questions Sandy being there, this is a resilient group,” Stewart said, defending her coach. “She has our back and we have hers. The way she continues to deal with the cards she was dealt was incredible. It wasn’t easy for anybody, but she came in with a positive attitude and a mindset to put us in our best position possible and best foot forward. We’re not going to be a team that points fingers.
“We have Sandy’s back.”
According to the team, the search for a new head coach will begin immediately.
The Liberty join a growing list of teams searching for new head coaches, with expansion squads like the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire still on the lookout and the Seattle Storm opting to part ways with Noelle Quinn after their season came to an end.
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