WNBA suspends Sandy Brondello after Angel Reese comment during game

The league announced the suspension, saying all coaches and team personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect.

The WNBA’s Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello has been suspended for one game after making an inappropriate comment about Angel Reese during Friday’s game against the Atlanta Dream. Brondello later apologized, saying her frustration was aimed at the officiating, not Reese.

The incident happened during Toronto’s 111-92 loss to Atlanta. Broadcast microphones captured Brondello reacting after Tempo forward Nyara Sabally went down with an injury following contact with Reese. Sabally was called for the foul, and Brondello was heard telling officials that Reese was a “protected species.”

On Saturday, the league announced the suspension, saying all coaches and team personnel are expected to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect. As reported by Al Jazeera, Brondello will miss Toronto’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on Monday. Reese appeared to respond to the controversy on social media. She posted, “ARE WE SURPRISED?!” on X while tagging Brondello’s account and adding a clown emoji.

ARE WE SURPRISED?! @SBrondello 🤡 https://t.co/moNbYdDYo3— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) July 18, 2026

Brondello later apologized directly to Reese in a statement shared on social media. “Angel, I’m sorry,” Brondello wrote. “My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you.” She also acknowledged that her remarks carried a broader impact. “I understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league,” Brondello said. “I’m deeply sorry for that.”

The coach also apologized to Reese, the Dream organization and Reese’s teammates. Brondello, who is Australian, noted that “protected species” is sometimes used in Australian sports to criticize officiating when a player is perceived to receive favorable calls. In the United States, however, the phrase can be interpreted as dehumanizing and especially offensive when directed at Black athletes.

Brondello is in her first season coaching the expansion Toronto Tempo. She previously won WNBA championships as head coach of the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty.