As the New York Liberty parted ways with Sandy Brondello, shockwaves were sent through the basketball world. Sure, the New York Liberty did get knocked out unexpectedly in the first round of the playoffs. But is having one bad season, that too riddled with injury trouble, a justified reason to get rid of a two-time championship-winning coach? And now, a month or so after the firing, some things have started to come out that give a picture of a rift in the relationship between Sandy Brondello and the New York Liberty front office.

After being let go by the Liberty, the Toronto Tempo recently appointed Sandy Brondello to be their first-ever head coach. But while the Tempo have signed one of the, if not the best, coaches in the WNBA for their debut season, the Liberty are still looking for something to take their project ahead. While discussing this, a WNBA analyst points out an interesting angle about why Sandy Brondello’s firing might have something more than just an early playoff exit.

Talking about this on the No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, WNBA insider Sabreena Merchant said, “You listened to what Jonathan Kolb said at his press conference after the dismissal of Sandy Brondello and just it didn’t seem like the two of them were quite in alignment on what they wanted the future of the New York Liberty to look like.” 

During his press conference, Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb had said that he felt that the team needed some evolution and innovation. Speaking of the decision, he said, “These decisions, they’re never easy, nor should they be, but often, these decisions mark the fork-in-the-road moments for organizations, and you can stand still or you can embrace change and move forward. In my commitment to keep pushing the New York Liberty to new heights, we believe that embracing this change will bring a freshness and an energy to our group.”

While his words seemed to show that the team needed a change, the fact is, they were the defending champions. In her four seasons in New York, Brondello boasted a 107–53 record, making the playoffs every season, including two trips to the Finals. So, Sandy Brondello was the coach with the most wins in the franchise’s history, and most importantly, the players loved her.

Even after being eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury, Breanna Stewart had wholeheartedly supported Sandy Brondello. Yes, the New York Liberty are heading to a new stage. There have been some who have connected Sandy’s firing to the Liberty’s new practice facility as well. But, if the results are decent and the players are fully committed to the coach, should the coach be replaced?

Nevertheless, the decision has been made now, and the only thing the New York Liberty should focus on is ensuring that they sign a decent replacement for Sandy Brondello. After the standard she helped set for the organization, if her replacement doesn’t match that, firing her could seem like a very costly mistake.

Who are the leading candidates for the New York Liberty coaching job?

Although there is still a long time to go for the 2026 WNBA season, the New York Liberty needs to find a replacement for Sandy Brondello as soon as possible. Replacing her was never going to be an easy task. However, as time passes, the list is getting even shorter. Especially with the Liberty’s top assistant, Sonia Raman, agreeing to become the head coach of the Seattle Storm, an internal candidate also seems unlikely. So, who could be on the list to become the head coach of the New York Liberty?

Well, when we are talking about a new hiring in the WNBA, we can not leave out Dawn Staley as one of the contenders. Coach Staley has a remarkable reputation and resume as a head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks. Her reputation is so immense that she was even interviewed for the head coaching job of the New York Knicks. Sure, convincing her to leave would not be easy, but with the times changing in the WNBA, now could be a perfect time to make the jump.

Another strong candidate for the job can be Jenny Boucek. The current Indiana Pacers’ assistant has plenty of coaching experience having been the head coach of a WNBA team ( Sacramento Monarchs and Seattle Storm). She has a high endorsement from Rick Carlisle to even become the first-ever woman head coach in the NBA. Another name to be considered is Kristi Toliver. She is currently the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury and has also been an assistant coach in the NBA with the Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks. Her coaching acumen and IQ can be a good combo to have and take the Liberty to the next stage.

Whoever the Liberty front office may select, they need to make the decision quickly. There are already enough uncertainties about the WNBA for the 2026 season; finding a good and quick replacement can at least ease one concern of the New York Liberty fans.