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? But now, a month or so after the firing, some things have started to emerge that paint 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 someone to take their project ahead. While discussing this, a WNBA analyst pointed 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 she is even the winningest coach of the Phoenix Mercury, 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? Let us weigh in a bit, in an attempt to pull over the curtains.

From a distance, it’s easy to look at New York’s decision and think, How could they? But those who’ve followed the team closely weren’t blindsided. Beat writers weren’t scrambling for answers, and longtime fans could feel this coming. Why, you ask?

When New York climbed the mountain in 2024, it did so without ever smoothing out their rough edges. The championship felt deserved, but not entirely convincing. The Liberty still let lesser opponents linger, never quite solved the Jonquel Jones riddle, and too often unraveled in critical stretches. Winning didn’t erase those cracks; it only covered them with confetti.

So, Brondello’s exit isn’t the scandal it might seem. In men’s basketball, recent champions like Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer, and Michael Malone all lost their jobs within two years of winning rings. The Liberty sees itself in that same category, not just as a strong WNBA team, but as an organization chasing excellence on a global scale. They know windows like this don’t stay open forever, and the best way to keep climbing is to never get too comfortable at the top.

And comfort has no place in today’s WNBA anyway. The league is expanding, talent is flooding in from overseas, and teams are investing harder than ever in scouting, data, and development. Success now demands innovation. Standing still, even for a season, is falling behind.

Look at the numbers. In 2023, over 70 percent of New York’s shots came either from deep or at the rim, a league-high mark that screamed “modern offense.” The next year, that figure slipped to 65 percent, still good for second. In 2025, it stayed there but dropped to fifth in the rankings. What was once revolutionary has become ordinary.

So, it seems like the Liberty didn’t part ways with a coach for failing. They did it because the rest of the league is catching up, and New York intends to keep leading the race. As Kolb himself said –

“I think that the game is changing rapidly. I honestly don’t even know it’s the same league as in 2023 I think that we’re seeing a basketball style on both sides of the ball that is rapidly changing, and I think that that will impact our decisions, not only that we made recently, but also roster as we look at our build and making sure that we are not standing still and we provide the right ingredients for whomever sits in that coaching seat to cook with.”

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.