5
Jun
Awards
Six reasons why Sandy is coach of month
Australian Sandy Brondello, head coach of the New York Liberty, during the 90-88 win over the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Sandy Brondello and the New York Liberty make perfect start to WNBA title defense
- Australian Sandy Brondello wins her fourth WNBA Coach of the Month Award
- New York Liberty rolled through May with a perfect 6-0 record
- Explainer: How to watch WNBA games in Australia
Australian Opals and New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello is the WNBA Coach of the Month in May 2025 after leading the defending champions to a perfect start to the season.
It's the 56-year-old's fourth Coach of the Month award in her career after she led the Liberty to a 6-0 start to their title defense and started June with near record 48-point win against the Connecticut Sun on June 2, 2025. The Liberty are 7-0 and the rest of the league is on notice.
- May 18: New York Liberty 92 def. Las Vegas Aces 78
- May 23: New York Liberty 99 def. Chicago Sky 74
- May 25: New York Liberty 90 def. Indiana Fever 88
- May 28: New York Liberty 95 def. Golden State Valkyries 67
- May 30: New York Liberty 82 def. Golden State Valkyries 77
- May 31: New York Liberty 85 def. Washington Mystics 63
The Liberty’s historic start to the 2025 season is on the back of a league-best 90.5 points per game, 23.5 assists per game, 30.3 defensive rebounds per game, 6.2 blocks per game, 11.2 threes per game, field goal percentage (46.7%), lowest opponent field goal percentage (36.4%), true shooting percentage (59.9%), assist to turnover ratio (1.83), net rating (19.1), offensive rating (110.1), and defensive rating (91.0) – all of which culminated in a top-ranked +16 plus/minus.
Additionally , on May 22, New York broke the WNBA’s all-time regular season record for most three-pointers made in a game when they combined for 19 makes from deep against the Chicago Sky.
Brondello’s six wins in May lifted her to the third-most regular season wins among all-time New York Liberty head coaches, with a total of 86 victories through her four seasons with the franchise (86-36, .704).
It's her third with New York and the fifth in Liberty franchise history.
Brondello also has her focus firmly set on the Australian Opals going all the way at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Before the Opals mini camp in April, 2025, she said: "It's a new campaign now, it's the road to LA. The last four years have been good but it's now how do we get that elusive gold medal."
In the meantime, WNBA fans need to wait almost two months before one of the biggest games of the season: the 2024 WNBA Finals rematch between the Liberty and Alanna Smith's Minnesota Lynx.
Minnesota is also off to a flyer, starting the season a perfect 8-0. The odds of both clubs being unbeaten on July 31, 2025 are slim but it's sure to be a blockbuster between the two best teams in the league.
We can't wait.
