WNBA suspends Tempo coach Sandy Brondello for 'protected species' comment about Angel Reese

The WNBA has suspended Toronto Tempo caput manager Sandy Brondello without wage for 1 crippled for utilizing the word "protected species" portion referring to Atlanta Dream prima Angel Reese.

During the Dream's 111-92 triumph implicit Toronto connected Friday, Toronto's Nyara Sabally fouled Reese aft an violative rebound.

As the telephone was being reviewed, Brondello yelled astatine the referees. Microphones picked her up saying, "Angel, she's a protected species!"

ANGEL REESE DANGEROUSLY PEDDLES RACIST CONSPIRACY THEORY AFTER WNBA COACH CALLS HER TWO WORDS

Toronto Tempo caput manager Sandy Brondello looks connected against the Chicago Sky during the archetypal fractional astatine Wintrust Arena successful Chicago, Ill., connected May 27, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Reuters)

The WNBA announced Saturday evening that Brondello volition present miss the Tempo's adjacent crippled against the Las Vegas Aces.

"The WNBA expects each coaches and squad unit to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are cardinal to our league," the league's announcement said.

Brondello issued a written apology earlier connected Saturday.

PAIGE BUECKERS SPARKS DEBATE WITH COMMENTS ABOUT BLACK WOMEN WNBA COACHES AMID CAITLIN CLARK COMPARISONS

Atlanta Dream guardant Angel Reese celebrates a handbasket successful the 2nd fractional against the Indiana Fever astatine Gainbridge Fieldhouse successful Indianapolis, Ind., connected June 18, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

"Angel, I'm sorry. Last night, successful the emotion of the infinitesimal aft Nyara's injury, I utilized a operation that I shouldn't person used, and I instrumentality afloat work for that. My vexation was with the officiating, but my words unfairly enactment the absorption connected you," she wrote.

"I besides recognize that my words carried an interaction beyond what I intended, peculiarly for Black women successful our league, and I'm profoundly atrocious for that," she continued. "I've spent my vocation competing with, coaching and learning from unthinkable Black women.

"I regret that my words caused wounded to a assemblage I respect truthful deeply," Brondello added. "I person a batch of respect for you arsenic some a subordinate and a person, and I sincerely apologize to you, your teammates, and the Dream enactment for my comment."

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Toronto Tempo's Brittney Sykes defends Atlanta Dream's Angel Reese during the archetypal fractional of a WNBA crippled successful Toronto connected June 14, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press)

After past night's game, Reese made a station connected societal media referencing Brondello's comment. Reese shared a station that appeared to construe the remark arsenic racially charged.

Brondello is from Australia, wherever the word "protected species" has been utilized successful Australian sports environments to explicit vexation implicit a deficiency of calls against a player.