The WNBA handed Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello a one-game suspension without pay following an on-court microphone capturing her calling Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese a “protected species.” The disciplinary action comes just days after the Tempo fell 111-92 to the Dream on Friday night.
Brondello made the comment during a heated exchange with officials. Tempo center Nyara Sabally had just gone down with an injury following physical contact with Reese, leading Brondello to argue for a foul call. A live broadcast microphone picked up the veteran coach labeling the forward a “protected species.”
The league moved swiftly. The official press release confirmed the unpaid one-game ban. Brondello will miss Monday’s home matchup against the Las Vegas Aces.
Reese did not let the comment slide. Shortly after the final buzzer, she took to X, asking “ARE WE SURPRISED?!” alongside a clown face emoji. Before the league formally announced the penalty, Brondello issued a public apology text Saturday morning. She clarified that her frustration was directed entirely at the officiating crew, not Reese.
“I regret that my words caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply… particularly for Black women in our league,” Brondello stated. The Australian native explained that the phrase is a common sports idiom in Australian rugby and AFL. Fans and coaches there traditionally use it to describe players who seemingly receive preferential treatment from referees.
The incident is accelerating a broader conversation within the league. Key members of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association are scheduled to meet with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert in New York on Tuesday. ESPN reports that while the meeting was originally set up to address a recent surge in online harassment targeting players, the agenda now explicitly includes the Brondello incident. Brondello is coaching her first season leading the expansion Tempo, bringing championship experience from her previous stints with the Phoenix Mercury and New York Liberty.