Sandy Brondello gets a roaring ovation in her Liberty return with Toronto Tempo

NEW YORK (AP) — Sandy Brondello waved to the fans as they gave her a loud ovation before her Toronto Tempo lost to the New York Liberty on Wednesday night.

Brondello, the coach who led New York to its first WNBA championship in 2024, now is in charge of the Tempo after she was let go by the Liberty after last season.

Many of Brondello's former players gave her hugs in pregame warmups and Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones posed for a photo postgame.

“I have so many great friendships here and that’s not going to change just because I coach a different team,” Brondello said.

The team played a tribute video midway through the first quarter for Brondello as well as husband Olaf Lange, who was her assistant in New York and Toronto, Isabelle Harrison and Nyara Sabally.

The crowd gave them all a standing ovation when the video was done.

“The fans here have been amazing there. They’ve always been amazing,” Brondello said. “It’s a special group here. And, you know, something that we’ll remember.”

Brondello finished 107-53 in the regular season during her four years leading the franchise after arriving in 2022. The 107 victories is the most in Liberty history. But a first-round exit in the playoffs last season led to general manager Jonathan Kolb making a change.

“One door closes, another one opens,” Brondello said. “I've enjoyed it here, but I'm embracing my new role too tonight. Maybe a little bit different, I don't know. I don't know who loves me and who hates me. So we'll see.”

This isn't the first time that Brondello has come back to coach against a former team she helped lead to a title. She won a championship in Phoenix in 2014 — her first year with the team. That wasn't the franchise's first title. She was let go by the organization in 2021 before coming to New York.

Now she has a new challenge with Toronto as the first franchise outside of the U.S. has gotten off to a solid start and has the same 5-4 record as the Liberty.

Brondello isn't the only former franchise member returning Wednesday night as her husband Olaf Lange, who was an assistant on the Liberty has the same role with the Tempo.

Nyara Sabally was chosen in the expansion draft by the Tempo and she was instrumental in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in 2024.

“I have obviously really good memories here in this gym with the fans,” Sabally said. “I mean, they’ve they’ve always been so amazing. So, it’s going to be just a nice welcoming moment.”

Sabally hung out with sister Satou, who plays for New York now, when she got to town.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello reacts after a 3-point shot made by Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello reacts toward a referee during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Minnesota Lynx, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns' first two baskets of the NBA Finals were like countless others in his career. The New York forward got the ball 30 feet from the basket, surveyed the scene, drove right past his defender and scored at the rim.

These buckets, however, were not ordinary.

They were against Victor Wembanyama.

Towns helped set a tone for the Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday night by going right at San Antonio's best player — and the unanimous pick as Defensive Player of the Year — twice in the opening minutes. Towns didn't get any more field goals against Wembanyama over the remainder of the game and didn't have to, finishing with 18 points in New York's 105-95 win.

“You just trust your work and you trust your decision-making, and I always say about being aggressive in playmaking: It may not be for the shot or get someone else a shot or get the hockey assist going,” Towns said. “For me, when I go out there, I try to be aggressive in playmaking.”

That holds true against the best defensive player on the planet.

The Knicks did a lot right in Game 1, but perhaps tops on that list was not letting the 7-foor-4 Wembanyama take over the game or even get into a rhythm on either side of the court. Wembanyama scored 26 points — on 6-for-21 shooting from the floor — and got a text from former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich between the end of Game 1 and Thursday afternoon's practice.

The message from Pop? That “I’ve been bad and I’m better than this,” Wembanyama revealed.

While that may be true, the Knicks believe Towns deserved a lot of credit for not letting Wembanyama become completely dominant in the series opener.

“Wemby, man, obviously iconic player, you’re not going to stop him, you hope he misses,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “You've got to throw different people, different coverages at him. You got to try not to send him to the free-throw line. We sent him to the free-throw line 13 times, but KAT himself did a pretty decent job of trying to lead with his chest while being physical. Again, I think it’s all due to him wanting to do whatever he can to help the team while being present.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots between San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) and forward Julian Champagnie (30) during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) looks down as New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looks towards his bench during the second half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots past San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)