Just a year ago, Sandy Brondello was at the center of a confetti-filled celebration, arms raised as the New York Liberty finally captured their first WNBA championship.
Today, she’s out of a job.
In a shock move, the Liberty dismissed Brondello after three seasons, just days after the team crashed out of the 2025 WNBA playoffs.
New York decided to part ways with the 57-year-old Australian after failing to defend their title in a Game 3 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.
[ALSO READ: Alyssa Thomas triple-double helps Mercury oust champs Liberty to complete WNBA semis cast]
“We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty,” General Manager Jonathan Kolb said.
He added, “Sandy finishes her tenure with 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.”
The Liberty opened the season with a nine-game win streak and were in second place in the WNBA standings with a 14-6 record heading into the All-Star break.
But adversity soon struck in the form of injuries.
Every member of the team’s Big 3 – Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu – missed time.
Jones was sidelined for nearly two weeks with a sprained ankle, then for another month after aggravating the injury as Stewart missed a month with a bone bruise, and Ionescu sat out four games with a toe injury.
Despite those setbacks, the Liberty finished at 27-17 and entered the postseason as the no. 5 seed, but fell to the Mercury in three games despite winning the series opener on the road.
[ALSO READ: No. 1 Lynx face upstart Valkyries; champ Liberty battle Mercury as 2025 WNBA playoffs set]
Brondello was hired ahead of the 2022 season after eight years coaching in Phoenix, where she guided the Mercury to a WNBA title.
Under her leadership, New York went 32-8 in both 2023 and 2024, reached back-to-back Finals, and captured the championship last year.
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Pao Ambat earned his journalism degree from Cavite State University in 2022.
Passionate about sports from a young age, he primarily covers the NBA for One Sports, while also assisting in reporting on the PVL, PBA, UAAP, and other leagues.
