The New York Liberty’s bid to repeat as WNBA champions ended Friday night in a 79-73 loss to the Phoenix Mercury in Game 3 of their playoff series.
It wasn’t for a lack of effort from Breanna Stewart, who finished the game with 30 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks in the losing effort.
After the gutting loss, Liberty stars Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu took the podium alongside head coach Sandy Brondello to meet with the media and share their disappointment.
“Only one team gets to feel good at the end of their season,” Stewart said hours later, sitting this time behind a dais for the final time in 2025. “And this year, we weren’t that team.”
At the end of the press conference, one reporter asked what either of the two players would say to someone who believed that Brondello shouldn’t return as Liberty coach in 2026.
“What the f***,” Stewart muttered to herself before launching into a defense of her head coach.
Q: “What would you say to those who question whether Sandy should be here next year to coach you guys again?”
Breanna Stewart: “What the f**…To anybody that questions Sandy…She has our back and we have hers…” pic.twitter.com/2b4lEbZcYf
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) September 20, 2025
“To anybody that kind of questions Sandy being there, this is a resilient group,” Stewart said. “She has our back and we have hers. The way she continues to deal with the cards she was dealt was incredible. It wasn’t easy for anybody, but she came in with a positive attitude and a mindset to put us in our best position possible and best foot forward. We’re not going to be a team that points fingers. There’s a lot of us that could’ve done better this season. But we’re still going to fight and show up for each other every single day, and I think that’s the most important part. We have Sandy’s back.”
This was Brondello’s 13th season as a head coach in the WNBA and fourth with the Liberty, having led the team to a 107-53 overall record with two WNBA Finals appearances and a championship.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.