The Liberty sent a shock through the WNBA earlier this week when it was announced the team would be parting ways with coach Sandy Brondello just one season after leading New York to its first WNBA title.
Fans began speculating what could've led to the Liberty choosing to let go of Brondello. Was it the Liberty's first-round playoff exit?
New York general manager Jonathan Kolb spoke on the team's decision to move on from Brondello on Thursday, and he shut down the rumors of this being a "reactive" decision. Instead, he harped on the fact that this decision was based on what was best for the Liberty moving forward.
"This decision was in no way punitive, nor was it reactive, but it's instead rooted in being proactive, nor was this decision based solely on the results of this past season," Kolb said, via Nets Daily's Lucas Kaplan. "I actually think Sandy did a good job navigating this group through uncharted waters, through injuries and a lack of availability.
"This decision comes after a thorough examination of what the New York Liberty need as we move forward into a future of an ever evolving WNBA. Very serious thought and consideration was made to retaining Sandy, but ultimately, we determined that evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time."
Kolb admitted the organization considered moving on from Brondello last season, too.
"[A coaching change] was very much under consideration last season," Kolb said, via Winsidr's Myles Ehrlich. "We won the championship, but it's not about the end result. That moment will always mean the world to me, and many people in this city and our fanbase, but it was about how we went about it."
Although parting ways with Brondello was what the organization wanted, it seems like the Liberty's players wanted to keep her around. Liberty star Breanna Stewart advocated for keeping Brondello on the team after their first-round playoff exit last week. In the end, this isn't what the organization wanted to do.
Brondello definitely made a huge impact on the Liberty franchise during her four seasons there. New York went to the playoffs all four years under Brondello, and made back-to-back finals appearances. She ends her Liberty tenure with a 107-53 record.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Liberty GM Explains Why Team Decided to Part Ways With Sandy Brondello.
