Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello just got hit with a one-game suspension, without pay, from the WNBA. The reason? An “inappropriate comment” she dropped about Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese during their game Friday night, which the Dream won 111-92.
The Live Mic Caught Everything
This whole thing blew up late in the fourth quarter on Friday. Angel Reese grabbed an offensive rebound and drove hard to the basket against Tempo’s Nyara Sabally. Reese put her shoulder into Sabally’s chest to create space, and Sabally went down hard in pain. The refs called a foul on Sabally, and that’s when Brondello lost it.
A live mic picked up Brondello yelling at the officials, specifically mentioning official Toni Patillo. “Angel, she’s a protected species,” Brondello was heard saying. “No, come on Toni… that’s s—.” Oof. Turns out, “protected species” is a common phrase in Brondello’s native Australia to describe a player who gets preferential treatment. But context or not, the WNBA clearly wasn’t having it.
The Fallout: Suspension, Apologies, and a Clown Emoji
The WNBA didn’t waste any time, announcing the suspension on Saturday. Their statement was pretty clear: they “expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league.” Brondello had already tried to smooth things over earlier Saturday morning, issuing an apology to Reese. She admitted, “I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that,” adding she was “deeply sorry” and “in the emotion of the moment.”
But before Brondello’s full apology even hit, Angel Reese, who balled out with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals on 7 of 11 shooting, took to social media herself. “ARE WE SURPRISED?!” she wrote, tagging Brondello’s account and adding a clown emoji. Yeah, she wasn’t impressed. Brondello later dropped a longer apology, acknowledging her words “unfairly put the focus on you” and had an “impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league.” She expressed deep respect for Reese and the community. This is about more than just one foul call, clearly.
What’s Next?
Brondello will serve her one-game suspension on Monday when the Tempo host the Las Vegas Aces. It’s a quick turnaround, but you know the league is watching. Professionalism, even in the heat of the moment, matters big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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