Sandy Brondello walked back into Barclays Center on Wednesday night and got a tribute before the game, then watched the Toronto Tempo fall 97-82 to the New York Liberty in her first visit to the building since the team let her go after the 2025 season.
She came out of the visitors tunnel about three minutes before tipoff, and the reception turned the matchup into more than a routine regular-season game. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton crossed over to the Tempo bench to greet her, Leonie Fiebich also stopped by, and the Liberty put Brondello on the video board during the first timeout after the public address announcer directed the crowd to look up.
Brondello said the appreciation from the fans was special, and she called the return nice, even though she said she felt supported in Toronto and like she could be herself. She also said she was not surprised by New York’s decision to move on from her after the 2025 season, a reaction that fit the polished way she handled a night filled with reminders of what she had already done in the arena.
That history is not small. Brondello coached the Liberty for four seasons, became the winningest coach in franchise history and led them to their first WNBA championship. She also guided New York to two WNBA Finals appearances during a four-year run that ended with a 123-64 overall record, and the club has since hired Chris DeMarco, a former assistant with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, to take over.
Jonquel Jones said before the game that she had not known a coaching change was coming when she spoke in May, and later texted Brondello to apologize after learning she would not be back. Jones said there was a mix of understanding and emotion because Brondello was someone the team had won a championship with and done something historic with, while Sabrina Ionescu told The Athletic last month that she was focused on being where her feet were. Brondello did not frame the night that way. She said everyone moves around this league, that returning to an old team will always mean something, and that the fans at Barclays Center had been amazing. What matters now is how Toronto carries her forward from here, because Wednesday gave Brondello her first look at the old place and the Liberty their first public chance to close the door on a coach who helped build the standard.
