"Breanna is not going to be happy" - WNBA fans react to NY Liberty firing HC Sandy Brondello in the aftermath of early exit

The New York Liberty have reportedly parted ways with last season's championship-winning coach, Sandy Brondello. According to Front Office Sports insider Annie Costabile on Tuesday, the Liberty disclosed that they won't renew her contract for the 2026 season.

Her exit comes as the defending champions were eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2025 WNBA playoffs. Fans on social media reacted to the report on X, with one fan tweeting that star player Breanna Stewart won't be pleased.

"Ooh Breanna’s not going to be happy."

Broccoli Λ•D🥦🇳🇬

@anxietyAD

@AnnieCostabile Ooh Breanna’s not going to be happy

Other fans on X weren't pleased that New York let go of coach Sandy Brondello, who brought the city its first championship.

CC Fan for Life

@sandi_stricklin

@AnnieCostabile Wow. Sandy didn’t deserve that. The League is happy to fire Coaches but not Refs?! The Refs can change a game’s result that even the best coach can’t overcome. Shame on the WNBA.

Lakers Hoops

@HoopLakers

@AnnieCostabile We just fire people cuz we don’t go back to back now? Thats actually some bulls__

Go Merc

@SunderousDunks

@AnnieCostabile They must think they're the NBA now. Good coaches ain't grow on trees. Grass ain't greener

Other fans of the New York Liberty shared the same sentiment.

G44C

@mariequeefonete

i get out of class and see this, why would they do that

Sports talk with Win

@Hooptalkwin

This makes no sense.

Liberty General Manager, Jonathan Kolb, said in a statement.

“We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact on the New York Liberty. Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship. We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter.”

Coach Brondello's exit comes following the departure of Seattle Storm's Noelle Quinn on Saturday. Her sack by New York could see her become a frontrunner in the race to become the next coach at Seattle.

Before her exit, she led the Liberty to a 27-17 record in the regular season. New York finished second in the Eastern Conference and fifth overall, before being eliminated by Phoenix, 2-1 in the playoffs, which ultimately led to her shock exit.

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What's next for New York Liberty following the exit of coach Sandy Brondello?

Coach Sandy Brondello's exit has taken the WNBA world by storm. Despite winning the franchise its first title, taking them to two straight Final appearances and four playoff appearances in four season, her failure to defend her title proved to be her ultimate downfall.

New York Liberty v Chicago Sky - Source: Getty

New York faced challenges as it aimed to defend its title. Injuries to star players, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu during the course of the season saw the team drop in seeding.

The Liberty have already announced that they are conducting a search for a new coach. Former Storm coach Noelle Quinn would most likely be the frontrunner and its left for the frontoffice to make a decision that would position the team as a strong contender in 2026.