The WNBA has descended into chaos once again after one head coach was caught calling Angel Reese a ‘protected species’ in an awkward hot mic moment.
On Friday night, during the Atlanta Dream’s 111-92 win over the Toronto Tempo, Sandy Brondello was heard making the comment after disagreeing with a foul call – which lead to her being handed a one-game suspension just one day later.
In the final minutes of the game, Reese was awarded a foul while trying to shoot a lay-up – despite knocking down Tempo star Nyara Sabally in the process.
While Sabally was on the floor in pain, Brondello was heard yelling: ‘Angel, she’s a protected species’.
The incident quickly drew attention on social media and Reese was among those to call out the Tempo head coach. After one fan ripped into Brondello for ‘calling a Black woman a species’, Reese wrote in response: ‘ARE WE SURPRISED?!’.
Brondello has since issued a groveling apology to the Dream star, writing on X: ‘Angel, I’m sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after [Nyara Sabally’s] injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that.
A rival WNBA head coach labelled Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese a ‘protected species’
Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello has since apologized for her comments on Friday
‘My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you’.
She later added: ‘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. I’ve spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women.
‘I regret that my words caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply. I have a lot of respect for you as both a player and a person, and I sincerely apologize to you, your teammates, and the Dream organization for my comment.’
Despite the apology, it was confirmed on Saturday that Brondello was officially suspended without pay for one game for the ‘inappropriate comment’. She will serve the suspension on Monday when the Tempo host the Las Vegas Aces.
At the time of writing, Reese has not yet responded to the comments. Instead, shortly after Brondello’s post, she re-shared a post on X which read: ‘So many young girls can learn from how @Reese10Angel stands up for herself.’
However, South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley – who was embroiled in her own controversy after clashing with UConn’s Geno Auriemma – was among those who commended Brondello’s statement. ‘A real apology,’ she wrote on X.
Other fans swiftly joined in. One took to X and said: ‘That’s a classy response to an unnecessary discussion. These WNBA fan bases are irrational’.
In recent weeks, the WNBA has been mired by multiple situations where players have claimed they have been subjected to racial comments.
Brondello took to social media to issue a groveling response to the Dream forward
The incident occurred when Reese was attempting a lay-up against the Tempo on Friday
At the start of the month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said that she received death threats and had been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat.
In response, Clark took a stand against the vile social media hatred that she, her Fever teammates, coaches and opposing WNBA players get.
‘I’ve said up here and said before, the harassment, the hate, none of that is OK,’ Clark said at practice.
‘That goes for the opposing team we play, that goes for my teammates, that goes for my coaches. There should never be question of character. None of that is OK, and I don’t want anybody to ever experience that.’
