The Liberty are in need of a new coach after the franchise's eyebrow-raising decision to part ways with Sandy Brondello. On Tuesday, New York announced it would not renew Brondello's contract for the 2026 season, ending her four-year tenure with the team that included the franchise's first WNBA title last year.
Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb explained the decision by noting "evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time." We'll see whether the gamble to part with a two-time WNBA champion coach pays off as the team begins their search for a new coach immediately.
New York was bounced from the playoffs after their first-round series with the Mercury, where they lost a decisive Game 3 79-73 just last week. Brondello helped lead the Liberty to the WNBA Finals in '23 where they were defeated by the Aces before claiming the organization's yearned for first championship the next year. Now, just a year removed, they join the Storm and the Toronto and Portland expansion franchises in a search for their next coach.
Arguably the most high-profile job available as we currently stand in this year's coaching carousel, the Liberty's search can go far and wide with plenty of intriguing candidates available, both internally and externally. Here are four candidates that the Liberty could consider as Brondello's replacement in no particular order:
Briann January — Indiana Fever assistant coach
January has worked as an assistant on Stephanie White's staff both with the Sun and now the Fever. She spent time with the Pistons' organization over the offseason as an assistant coach for the Motor City Cruise, the franchise's G League affiliate. She also spent time as an assistant at her alma mater, Arizona State, during the 2017-18 season which was during an the offseason in her WNBA playing career. As a player, January spent her first nine seasons with the Fever where she won a title in '12 and was named an All-Star in '14. She finished her playing career in stints with the Mercury, Sun and Storm. She has immense experience as a player as well as a coach at multiple levels, which should put her in prime position to get a shot as a head coach sooner rather than later.
Lindsey Harding — Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach
Harding had a nine-year WNBA career before she began her coaching journey that saw quick success. She served as the head coach for the NBA G League's Stockton Kings and was named the G League Coach of the Year in her only season at the helm—the first woman to receive the honor. After that, she joined JJ Redick's staff on the Lakers as an assistant coach. She has international experience, too, serving as the inaugural coach of South Sudan's women's team before she became Mexico's head coach in 2023.
Sonia Raman — New York Liberty assistant coach
The NY Liberty welcomes Sonia Raman to the coaching staff!🗽
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) January 13, 2025
Coach Sonia stood at the helm of the MIT women’s basketball team for 12 seasons and served as the Assistant Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies for 4 seasons. pic.twitter.com/YetEdTzFLZ
The Liberty hired Raman early this year ahead of the season as an assistant on Brondello's staff. She coached MIT's women's team for 12 seasons before making a jump to the NBA as an assistant with the Grizzlies prior to joining the Liberty a season ago. Should Kolb look internally to fill the vacancy, Raman is at the top of the list, and could see interest from other teams searching for a coach.
Nola Henry — Dallas Wings assistant coach
Henry's career on WNBA coaching staffs and front offices has followed Curt Miller's, who's currently the general manager of the Wings. She joined Dallas' staff last season under head coach Chris Koclanes, another Miller disciple. Henry was the head coach of Unrivaled's Rose BC during the league's inaugural season where she led the team to a championship. While no Liberty players played under Henry at Unrivaled, league co-founder Breanna Stewart definitely got to see how she operates.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Four Potential Head Coach Candidates for Liberty Following Sandy Brondello's Exit.
