Once the season ended, five teams had to hire head coaches. Four of those positions have been filled. The Portland Fire went with Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Alex Sarama, Sandy Brondello will lead the Toronto Tempo, Jose Fernandez is headed from USF to Dallas, and the Storm chose to bring in Liberty assistant coach Sonia Raman. Once Brondello, the most proven and experienced WNBA coach available, had chosen her new position, the dominions toppled rapidly. Only the Liberty’s head coaching position is still open.
There is a good reason for that. The Liberty’s coaching job comes with the most responsibility, pressure, and expectations—not just for the new coach, but also for the organization. The Liberty’s front office chose not to renew Sandy Brondello’s contract even though she just led the team to a championship in 2024 and the team’s stars clearly supported her. While all of the Liberty’s stars will be free agents once a new CBA is in effect, it seems likely that they will return to chase another championship. If that is the case, the Liberty have to have a coach who is up to the challenge and can lead the team to new heights it didn’t reach under Brondello. Otherwise, letting her go will look really foolish. Such a crucial decision cannot be rushed.
The Liberty will need an experienced coach
The only Liberty players under contract for the 2026 season are Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones will all be unrestricted free agents. However, GM Jonathan Kolb said during his end-of-season press conference that he was confident all three would return. If they do and the Liberty can also get the right supporting cast around them, New York will be a championship contender once again.
So, the Liberty will need an experienced coach who won’t need much time to get used to their new role and establish a winning system. Sonia Raman, who worked under Brondello as an assistant coach and also has experience in the NBA, seemed like an obvious choice, but she will take over in Seattle. The New York Post’s Madeline Kenney reported after the news that the Storm would hire Raman that “the Liberty’s pool of candidates includes former Nets assistant Will Weaver, G League head coach Joseph Blair and Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver.” The Athletic’s Ben Pickman reported that the Liberty are looking at coaches with NBA or G League experience, which should make Lindsey Harding an intriguing candidate.
For potential coaches, landing the Liberty job will likely come with the opportunity to coach some of the biggest stars in the league and work for an organization that never shies away from investing in its players and on-court product. At the same time, however, it comes with a lot of pressure to win right away and with many eyes. That can be a challenge for inexperienced coaches.