Liberty fire head coach Sandy Brondello

Just a year removed from a WNBA championship, changes are coming to the New York Liberty. 

News broke Tuesday that the Liberty have decided to part ways with head coach Sandy Brondello. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, considering last season's triumph and a return to the postseason this year, but it is understandable given the way this season played out for the team, which culminated in a first-round playoff exit.

In July, New York’s seven-time WNBA All-Star forward Breanna Stewart sustained a knee injury against the Los Angeles Sparks, sidelining her for 13 games before returning in late August. Stewart also suffered an MCL sprain in Game 1 against the Phoenix Mercury. 

Her teammate Sabrina Ionescu dealt with a toe injury, adding to Brondello’s difficult task of finding the right lineup balance without two essential players for the Liberty offense. On top of that, Jonquel Jones re-injured her ankle and forward Nyara Sabally had a right knee injury of her own, leaving a big void on the defensive end for a Liberty team that started the season on very strong footing.

The Liberty won their first nine games of the season and were 17-6 before losing 11 of their final 21 games of the season. At times, you could see the frustration on players’ faces, with Brondello trying desperately to ease the tensions during this turbulent stretch. Ultimately she was unable to do so, losing a surprising 3-1 series to the Phoenix Mercury to end the season.

Brondello compiled a 107-53 record (.669), four playoff appearances, two Eastern Conference titles and a WNBA championship.

"We would like to thank Sandy Brondello for her everlasting impact," Liberty GM Jonathan Kolb said in a statement, via ESPN.

"Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship. We wish Sandy the very best in her next chapter."

It will be interesting to see what direction the Liberty takes as they look to establish a new identity while maintaining optimism for the fan base. One thing to note: the Seattle Storm also fired their head coach, Noelle Quinn, just a few days ago, and there is a possibility that Quinn could find herself leading the bench at Barclays Center.