Liberty coach Sandy Brondello out after early playoff exit - ESPN

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.

«We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact,» Liberty GM 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. They earned the No. 5 seed in the playoffs but lost their first-round series to the Phoenix Mercury 79-73 in Game 3 on Friday.

«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."

Guard Natasha Cloud said, «Sandy did an amazing job this year of getting us through injuries, keeping us together, staying optimistic and positive. 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 was hired to coach the Liberty in December 2021 and went 107-53 in four seasons.

ESPN's Katie Barnes and The Associated Press contributed to this report.