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The New York Liberty announced that coach Sandy Brondello's contract was not being renewed on Tuesday, four days after the defending champions were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. "It has been a privilege to have coached the NY Liberty these last four years," Brondello said in a text message to The Associated Press. "Bringing the first ever championship to New York will always be the most amazing feeling. I wish the team and organization more success moving forward." Liberty brass considered nothing short of a championship to be a success this season, sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou, and the team decided not to exercise its option to bring Brondello back. "We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact," general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. "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." After leading the Liberty to their first WNBA championship last year, the team struggled with injuries to Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu. New York earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs but lost its first-round series to the Phoenix Mercury in three games. "She has our back, and we have hers," Stewart said after Friday's loss, when asked about Brondello staying on as coach. "It wasn't easy for anybody, but she came in every day with a positive attitude and a mindset to put us in our best position possible. So we're not going to be a team that points fingers. "So we have Sandy's back." Brondello was hired to coach the Liberty in December 2021 and went 107-53 in four seasons. "Sandy did an amazing job this year of getting us through injuries, keeping us together, staying optimistic and positive," guard Natasha Cloud said Friday. "Sandy is one of the winningest coaches in this f---ing league. Every player loves her so I'm holding Sandy's back. She has my back. I think there should be a lot more respect and that can be said to our fans too." Brondello is expected to be considered a target for other head coaching vacancies throughout the league. "I didn't love it for Sandy, I'm gonna have to be honest," Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon said Tuesday. "She's just won a championship. She's won in other places, and I know her to be a quality coach and a quality person. Those are rare sometimes to get that that mixture of qualities as a head coach." ESPN's Katie Barnes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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