What's next for New York Liberty after firing Sandy Brondello?

Less than a twelvemonth aft winning the archetypal WNBA title successful franchise history, the New York Liberty are moving connected from the manager who led them to the title.

In the aftermath of a first-round exit from the WNBA playoffs past Friday, the Liberty announced Tuesday that they won't beryllium renewing the declaration of caput manager Sandy Brondello, who went 107-53 (.669) successful 4 seasons with the franchise, including starring New York to the 2024 title and back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances.

New York's rubric defence was marred by injuries. The Liberty played each play without starting helping Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, and erstwhile MVPs Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart some missed extended stretches. Even so, New York astir apt underperformed its endowment astatine little than afloat strength, finishing with the No. 5 effect to acceptable up a hard first-round bid against the Phoenix Mercury without the payment of home-court advantage.

Ahead of a critical offseason for the Liberty -- and the full WNBA arsenic a new corporate bargaining agreement is negotiated -- they indispensable determine connected the manager to pb them into a caller era. Only 1 subordinate (Leonie Fiebich) who saw much than 7 minutes of enactment successful the playoffs is nether contract.

ESPN's Katie Barnes, Kevin Pelton and Michael Voepel interruption down wherefore New York made this move, who mightiness beryllium adjacent connected the Liberty sideline and wherever Brondello could onshore arsenic a coaching escaped agent.

Why are the Liberty moving connected from Brondello now?

Michael Voepel: There were rumblings during the play that Brondello mightiness beryllium connected the blistery seat, though to galore observers that didn't marque sense. From the outside, it's hard to spot her 4 seasons successful New York arsenic thing but a success. Her tenure erased the Liberty's title void: archetypal with the Commissioner's Cup rubric successful 2023 and past the WNBA rubric successful 2024.

However, it's hard to ever cognize what goes connected down closed doors regarding squad dynamics and conversations among management, coaches and players.

Some constituent to the injury-plagued No. 6 effect Indiana Fever inactive playing successful the WNBA semifinals portion the No. 5 effect Liberty person been eliminated. But contempt the Fever's galore injuries -- particularly astatine the defender presumption and astir importantly to Caitlin Clark -- Indiana had 4 different players who appeared successful each crippled this season, 3 of whom started each game.

Between injuries and players astatine overseas competition, the Liberty didn't person arsenic overmuch continuity successful their lineup passim the play arsenic expected. And the losses of Laney-Hamilton (injury) and Kayla Thornton (taken successful the enlargement draught by Golden State) detracted from New York's defence and extent compared to 2024.

Ultimately, the Liberty absorption didn't deliberation the 2025 Liberty accomplished what it expected, and Brondello took the fall.

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