WNBA coaching changes for 2026: Tracking hirings and firings - ESPN

Four days after being eliminated in the first round of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, the New York Liberty parted with coach Sandy Brondello on Tuesday.

She is the second head coach let go since the first round ended, as the Seattle Storm announced Sunday that Noelle Quinn will not return.

With the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo joining next season as expansion teams, there are now four coaching openings in the league for the 2026 season.

Last offseason, the league saw a record seven coaching changes — not including the Golden State Valkyries hiring for their inaugural season.

ESPN will track all of the coaching hirings and firings, and provide analysis, as they happen.

Former coach: Sandy Brondello (Sept. 23)

The Liberty announce they will not renew Brondello's contract. She's out after four seasons, and exits a year after leading New York to the 2024 WNBA title. The Liberty went 27-17 this season and were the No. 5 seed in the playoffs.

In a statement, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said, «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.»

Former coach: Noelle Quinn (Sept. 21)

Analysis: Only the Minnesota Lynx's Cheryl Reeve had longer tenure in a WNBA head coaching job than Quinn, who took over early in the 2021 season after Dan Hughes announced his immediate retirement. Quinn led the Storm to the inaugural Commissioner's Cup title and four playoff appearances in five seasons, but Seattle fell short of expectations after adding Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Per league sources and first reported by