Breanna Stewart stood firmly by her coach when asked about Sandy Brondello’s future after the Liberty’s first-round playoff exit to the Phoenix Mercury. “To anybody that questions Sandy being here — this is a resilient group, and she has our back and we have hers,” she said. What Stewie didn’t know, however, was that her strong show of support would age quickly. Just days later, the Liberty and Brondello parted ways.

At 57, Brondello exits as the winningest coach in Liberty history, only a year removed from delivering the franchise’s first WNBA title in 2024. Her sudden departure was bound to stir friction between the stars and the front office–something GM Jonathan Kolb wasted no time addressing.

“Often these decisions mark fork-in-the-road moments for organizations and you can stand still or you can embrace change and move forward, and my commitment is to keep pushing the New York Liberty to new heights,” Kolb told reporters in New York during a news conference. “We believe that embracing this change will bring a freshness and an energy to our group.”

When the Liberty opened the season, no one thought change was necessary. They started 9-0, and everything pointed toward them keeping the trophy. But then the injuries hit. Their Big Three of Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart, and Sabrina Ionescu all spent time on the sidelines. Jones missed 13 games with an ankle injury, Stewart sat out 13 with a bone bruise, and Ionescu missed 6 with ankle and toe issues.

But the drop-off was hard for management to ignore, even if the players didn’t fully see it themselves. After their championship run, the Liberty slipped from 32-8 in 2024 to 27-17 in 2025 — the second-biggest decline in win percentage across the league. The Sun, which entered a full rebuild, fell from .799 to .250. New York’s dip wasn’t nearly as drastic, but going from .800 to .614 marked a .186 slide that underscored how far they had fallen from last year’s dominance.

That’s not all. This season, the Liberty struggled in areas that had once been their strengths. They didn’t respond well to physicality, their spacing often broke down, and they took a noticeable step back on defense and the glass. In 2024, they had the third-best defensive rating in the league at 95.3. This year, it slipped to sixth at 100.6. Rebounding told a similar story — from averaging 36.6 boards per game last season (second-best in the league) to just 33.7 this year. Clearly, something had to change.

There’s no timeline to hire Brondello’s replacement, Kolb said, and the organization isn’t looking to rush the process. “We need to nail this,” Kolb emphasized. “If we’re going to make a bold decision like this, our players deserve to get the best, and so we’ll take the time necessary.” It will be interesting to see whether the Liberty looks for a coach with NBA experience, especially given the recent trend of hires like Becky Hammon and Nate Tibbetts making the leap.

But Kolb will have his work cut out for him. Only Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally are under contract for 2026. While Stewie assured the media she would return, it’s hard not to wonder whether the firing of Sandy, whom she publicly defended, might influence her decision. Sabrina Ionescu has also been linked to a potential move to her hometown team, the Valkyries. Kolb will need to make a strong coaching appointment to keep all of these superstars on board.

Potential candidates to replace Sandy Brondello

Noelle Quinn

Recently out as head coach of the Seattle Storm, Quinn can also be considered as a potential replacement. During her tenure, she compiled a 97-89 regular-season record–the second-most wins in Storm history–and led the team to the playoffs in four of her five seasons. However, after an underwhelming 2025 campaign, she might not be the frontrunner for the job.

Teresa Weatherspoon

A beloved figure in New York, Weatherspoon played for the Liberty from 1997 to 2003. While her WNBA coaching experience isn’t extensive, her players consistently respond well to her leadership, a fact that became evident when the Sky let her go last year. Though she didn’t find major success as a WNBA coach, Weatherspoon has had notable achievements elsewhere, guiding her alma mater, Louisiana Tech, to the NCAA Tournament twice and coaching Vinyl BC during Unrivaled’s inaugural season. Definitely a name to keep an eye on.

Rooneka Hedges 

The current Connecticut assistant was part of the Liberty setup during 2023 and 2024, helping the team reach the finals and capture the championship last year. She already has a strong rapport with both the organization and the players, making her a smart potential choice for the Liberty if they decide to pursue her.