WNBA coach apologizes to Reese, draws one-game suspension
Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello apologized to Angel Reese and was suspended one game by the WNBA after a hot mic caught her calling Reese a "protected species" during Friday's 111-92 loss to the Atlanta Dream, saying she should not have used the phrase. Brondello said her frustration was with officiating after Nyara Sabally's injury contact with Reese, not with the Dream star, and she took full responsibility.
Key Takeaways
- Brondello apologized on social media after the broadcast captured her referring to Reese as a "protected species."
- The WNBA suspended the Tempo coach one game for violating professionalism standards; she will miss Monday's game vs. Las Vegas.
- Brondello said the remark targeted officiating, not Reese, and acknowledged impact on Black women in the league.
- In Australian sports slang the phrase often means preferential calls; in U.S. culture it can read as dehumanizing.
What did Sandy Brondello say about Angel Reese?
During Atlanta's 111-92 win over Toronto on Friday, Nyara Sabally went down after contact with Reese and was called for the foul. On a hot mic, Brondello could be heard telling officials that Reese was a "protected species," according to ESPN and The Guardian.
Reese later posted on social media, "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" tagging Brondello with a clown-face emoji. Coverage of the WNBA flare-up also spilled into opinion outlets debating whether the phrase was racist or routine sports jargon.
Why was the Tempo coach suspended by the WNBA?
On Saturday the league announced a one-game suspension, citing expectations that coaches uphold "the highest standards of professionalism and respect." Brondello will miss Monday's matchup against the Las Vegas Aces.
The Australian coach, in her first season with the expansion Tempo after title runs with Phoenix and New York, posted a direct apology: "Angel, I'm sorry... I used a phrase that I shouldn't have used, and I take full responsibility for that." She said her anger was aimed at the officials but unfairly put focus on Reese.
How did cultural context shape the controversy?
Multiple native Australians told ESPN that "protected species" is used in Australian sports to complain that a player is officiated differently. In American culture, language that marks someone as less than human has a painful history of derogatory use toward Black people—context Brondello said she now understands.
"I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I'm deeply sorry for that," she wrote, adding respect for Reese, her teammates, and the Dream. For more on how sports narratives collide with culture online, see Future Tech & AI Wonders on BlasterPost.
ESPN reported the incident may come up in a previously scheduled players meeting with commissioner Cathy Engelbert next week. The league had not immediately commented before the suspension statement; the players' union declined comment.