Remember a few months back when the NBA was shaken by the firing of New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, despite him leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals?
Well, it seems the WNBA has its own version of that drama now. On Tuesday, the New York Liberty shocked the basketball world by parting ways with head coach Sandy Brondello, even after she guided the franchise to back-to-back Finals and its first-ever championship in 2024.
The decision has raised plenty of eyebrows, and Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon didn’t hesitate to give her unfiltered take.
Becky Hammon Not Happy With Sandy Brondello News
Hammon was asked about the surprising move during a pre-game interview ahead of Game 2 of the Aces’ second-round series against the Indiana Fever. Taking the example of Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, Hammon made it clear she wasn’t a fan of how things unfolded with Brondello.
“(Cheryl Reeve in Minnesota) should be the model. If you have a good coach, you keep a good coach. It doesn’t mean you win every year. There can be rough years in between, but you continue to stay competitive, and you invest in what you have,” the coach explained.
“You invest in your leadership. It happens all the time in professional sports, but it’s really hard to rip off a foundation, just start over and over, like every year or every two years,” said Hammon during the interview.
Hammon didn’t stop there. She also pointed to the NBA and mentioned Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker and the negative impact of constant coaching changes.
“I mean, you look at, you know, poor Devin Booker. How many head coaches did that guy had? You know, it’s just hard to reboot every year. Now, I know it seems like the coach is the easiest thing to remove, but if you have a good coach, you keep him or her,” added Hammon during the interview.
More on Becky Hammon not being a fan of Sandy Brondello being fired by the New York Liberty:
“(Cheryl Reeve in Minnesota) should be the model. When you have a good coach, you keep the good coach. And that doesn’t mean you win every year.” pic.twitter.com/q003zQU4pR
— Callie Fin (@CallieJLaw) September 24, 2025
Brondello’s career is a testament to that idea. After transitioning from a stellar playing career, she began coaching in 2005 as an assistant with the San Antonio Silver Stars before becoming their head coach.
A brief assistant stint with the Los Angeles Sparks led to her breakthrough role with the Phoenix Mercury, where she won the 2014 WNBA championship. Internationally, Brondello also guided the Australian Opals to a World Cup silver in 2018 and an Olympic bronze in 2024.
In January 2022, Brondello took over the Liberty and quickly transformed them into contenders. She amassed a 107-53 regular-season record, led the team to two Finals appearances, and delivered the franchise its first-ever WNBA title in 2024. Now, even after all this success, she got fired.
MORE: Liberty Shockingly Announce Massive Firing After Losing to Mercury in WNBA Playoffs
As for Hammon’s Aces, they’re navigating their own challenges in the postseason. After dropping Game 1 of the second round to the Indiana Fever 89-73, the Aces bounced back dominantly.
Powered by A’ja Wilson’s 25-point performance the Aces cruised to a 90-68 victory in Game 2. Looking at the game, the Aces had the upper hand from the start and were leading by nine points after the first quarter.
By halftime, they had increased their lead to 11 points. The second half told the same story, and moreover, the Aces had the highest lead of the game at 26 points in the fourth quarter, which the Fever could not handle and ultimately lost.
TEAM WIN 👐@NaLyssaSmith: 18 PTS / 7 REB / 7-9 FG@JackieYoung3: 13 PTS / 5 REB / 5 AST / 45% FG@jewellloyd: 10 PTS / 4 REB / 66% FG@Danaaakianaaa: 10 PTS / 3 AST / 56% FG#RaiseTheStakes pic.twitter.com/j4VIOHtInw
— Las Vegas Aces (@LVAces) September 24, 2025
Now the series stands at 1-1, and the Aces squad is gearing up to secure another victory on Friday, September 26 in Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Meanwhile, already out of contention, the Liberty will begin its coaching search.
