Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello has been suspended by the WNBA for one game after making an “inappropriate comment” about Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese.
Brondello, 57, was overheard calling Reese, 24, a “protected species” during the Tempo’s game against the Dream on Friday, July 17.
While issuing an apology on Sunday, July 19, Brondello, who is Australian, attempted to explain that the phrase is frequently used in Australian sports circles and she did not intend to be racist.
“Have a ton of respect for her, but I wanted to make sure that [she knows] it was an emotional statement,” Brondello told reporters. “It’s a statement that’s very common in Australia, it wasn’t directed at Angel. I’d never do that to any kind of player. That’s not the kind of coach I am or player back in my day. It was just unfortunate. I was pretty emotional with [Tempo player] Nyara [Sybally], her being injured again. I made a comment that, Australians, we say all the time.”
She continued, “Unfortunately, I should have took a breath and realized where I am in America because I know racism is such a big issue here. I’ve been in this league for 27 years and, obviously, I never had any issues like this because these are all my teammates and I’ve learnt so much from the Black players that I’ve coached and that I’ve had on staff.”
Brondello will serve her suspension on Monday, July 20, when the Tempo host the Las Vegas Aces.
“I know I’m not racist, so it’s a really unfortunate situation,” Brondello insisted. “So, I wanted to apologize whenever Angel is ready. I have reached out to their organization. Very sincere because I never want that to happen to anyone. It’s so much in this WNBA and I felt mad at myself because I’m a part of the solution, not the problem.”
She added, “Hopefully I can have that chat and she gets to know me and my heart. I think everyone else that I’ve coached in this league, they know that and what I’m about. I’ll try to be better as I move forward. I did make a mistake and I’ll try and keep my Australianisms, I suppose, out. But it was never meant to be personal. So, I am truly sorry and, you know, hopefully she’s doing OK.”
Reese addressed the situation before the Dream’s victory over the Chicago Sky on Sunday.
“First, I appreciate Sandy’s apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I’ve had for the last 48 hours,” Reese said. “It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love and also other things. But I am grateful that the league did take action.”
She continued, “There is no place for discrimination or hate in this league from anyone — from fans to coaches to players. And I’m just grateful that we are able to move on from the situation and just play winning basketball. The WNBA is supposed to be positive and we are going in a great light right now, so I just want to continue that and move forward.”
