One of the most legendary figures in Phoenix Mercury franchise history has achieved championship glory for the second time in her illustrious career.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Sunday night, former Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello helped the New York Liberty claim their first WNBA title ever as they beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in the winner-take-all Game 5. Jonquel Jones, the Finals MVP, scored 17 points, WNBA superstar Breanna Stewart recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds and Leonie Fiebich also tacked on 13 points as well.
For Brondello, this monumental feat continues to cement her status as one of the most successful coaches the league has ever seen.
After three seasons (2011-13) as an assistant with the Los Angeles Angeles Sparks, Brondello became a WNBA head coach when she replaced Russ Pennell in Phoenix.
During her stint with the Mercury, they made the playoffs every year (2014-21) om her tenure and had a combined record of 150-108, becoming one of the most dominant franchises in the league.
In just her first season in charge, Brondello guided the Mercury to the all-time WNBA record of most wins in a season at the time, 29. With stars Candice Dupree, Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, Phoenix went on to win its third title, taking down the Chicago Sky in the 2014 WNBA Finals.
But in the aftermath of losing in the 2021 WNBA Finals to Chicago 3-1 and finishing the shortened season 19-13, the two sides would then mutually split.
The Liberty would then hire Brondello before the 2022 season began and the rest is history.
Finishing 16-20 and suffering a first-round exit to the Sky in her first year in charge, the Liberty’s roster strengthened significantly to a point where they instantly turned into a championship contender. Already having Sabrina Ionescu, New York went out and acquired Jones, Stewart and Courtney Vandersloot in 2023.
The Liberty made it to the finals last year, but lost to the previous back-to-back champions in the Las Vegas Aces 3-1, making this win more gratifying for a team who haven’t achieved the pinnacle of women’s basketball in its 28 years of existence.
While the questionable officiating on both sides was under scrutiny, New York and Minnesota put on one of the best WNBA Finals series to date. The back-and-forth action, defensive brilliance and offensive firepower made it a spectacle that any basketball fan would have enjoyed.
Brondello may be representing another city on the other side of the country, but her time with the Mercury has led her to where she is today and should be celebrated for what she has accomplished.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
