Liberty eye "big swing" coaches to replace Sandy Brondello

The mashup we didn’t know we needed.

Report: Liberty eye “big swing” coaches to replace Brondello

The New York Liberty cleaned house this week, officially parting ways with 2024 WNBA title-winning head coach Sandy Brondello and starting the search for a new boss — with some reported “big swings” in mind.

• Multiple league sources told The Athletic that New York is aiming for high-profile candidates, likely scouting both NBA and college coaching talent.

• With top stars Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones entering free agency, the pressure is on for the Liberty to prove a new hire can offset issues that emerged during the team’s injury-plagued 2025 run.

Context: WNBA teams have tapped into a diversified head coaching pool in recent years, with Coach of the Year Natalie Nakase of Golden State highlighting a rising generation of managers with a mix of men’s and women’s basketball experience.

• Atlanta’s Karl Smesko, an esteemed former college coach, and Phoenix’s Nate Tibbetts, who joined the Mercury in 2024 after years as an NBA assistant coach, also found success on the WNBA court this year.

Who’s up: Potential replacements fitting New York’s bill include Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding, Pacers assistant Jenny Boucek, Mercury assistant Kristi Toliver, and current Liberty assistant Sonia Raman.

• “She’s ready,” Tibbetts said recently, singing Toliver’s praises. “She’s got a great basketball mind. She’s got the ultimate respect of the players in this league, which is so important, and her time will come, she just needs one team to give her a chance.”

LA Sparks invest $150 million in new practice facility

The LA Sparks are in for a major upgrade, announcing plans for a dedicated $150 million training facility in what the team’s calling “the largest investment to date in the history of women’s sports for a single team.”

• The 55,000-square-foot El Segundo development will feature two regulation courts, weight room and training areas, recovery rooms, a yoga studio, hydrotherapy, and a spa, among other amenities.

• “We’re building a place where Sparks players can be at their best on and off the court,” said Sparks governor Eric Holoman in Wednesday’s press release. “Every corner of this facility was designed with them at the center.”

Big picture: With both surging revenues and a looming new CBA shaping teams’ every move, state-of-the-art facilities have become a must-have for organizations looking to attract top talent next season and beyond.

• LA is just the latest team to enter the facility arms race, joining Chicago, Indiana, Dallas, New York, and expansion side Portland in building new digs, with Seattle, Phoenix, and Las Vegas having already debuted splashy dedicated training centers.

• The Sparks are anticipating a 2027 opening, rushing to the finish line after several years of short-term contracts with third-party practice facilities.

Unrivaled 3×3 signs Top 3 WNBA rookies

Unrivaled 3×3 is loading up on fresh talent, officially signing the WNBA’s Top 3 rookies as Washington Mystics first-years Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen join Dallas Wings superstar Paige Bueckers on the offseason league’s expanded 2026 roster.

• As 2025’s only rookie All-Stars, Bueckers, Citron, and Iriafen led their class in points per game, field goals made, and field goal percentage while breaking multiple rookie records along the way.

• Connecticut Sun first-year Saniya Rivers will also be making her Unrivaled debut, after ranking sixth in rooking shooting while leading her class in blocks per game. (See full stats)

Big picture: Unrivaled has already proven to be springboard for young players, with 2024 newcomers Rickea Jackson (LA) and Aaliyah Edwards (Connecticut) stepping into the 3×3 spotlight this past January.

• Both Jackson and Edwards will return to the Miami-based competition in 2026, joining fellow 2024 rookie Kate Martin of Golden State.

• The league has also tapped future WNBA rookies, racking up more than a dozen big-name NIL signings ahead of its second-season tip-off.

Stay tuned: Unrivaled roster announcements will continue through October 1st, with the league set to tip off in January.

Save Up to 80% on Top Brands with Brad’s Deals

Signing up for Brad's Deals is free! And when you sign up you'll get access to our personalized deals newsletter -- with curated picks from your favorite brands at the best stores. We're talking Nike, Hoka, Amazon, Walmart, and many more!

Sign Up and Save

Black Women’s Player Collective announces talent showcase

The Black Women’s Player Collective is making moves, with the organization announcing plans to co-host a first-of-its-kind national showcase for top-ranked Black women’s soccer athletes this November.

• In partnership with Allstate and Black Star, the BWPC’s Next Wave National Showcase will take over the Texas campus of HBCU Prairie View A&M from November 22nd to 25th.

• The program will feature 20 to 30 of the country’s best Black high school players, bridging the professional gap after the NWSL announced plans to hold first-ever combines in lieu of the CBA-abolished draft this December.

Big picture: Founded by NWSL standouts in October 2020, the BWPC is looking to establish a talent pipeline to ensure diversity as the sport grows, with Black players currently making up 12% of the US pro league.

• “We founded the BWPC with a clear mission: to create space and open doors within the existing soccer framework for girls whose skills, talent, and drive position them to compete at the highest level,” BWPC board member and NC Courage midfielder Brianna Pinto said in a press release. “As the first women’s soccer organization to champion the growth of the game through the lens of diversity, we remain committed to partnering with others equally invested in advancing women’s sports.”

Top tennis stars take the court in Beijing

As the 2025 tennis calendar hits the home stretch, the WTA’s finest hit the hardcourt this week at the 1000-level China Open — with invites to November’s WTA Finals on the line.

• World No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 4 Amanda Anisimova will feature in tonight’s Round of 64, while back-to-back US Open champ — and world No. 1 — Aryna Sabalenka withdrew due to injury.

• Gauff returns as the tournament’s reigning champion, following up 2024’s success by with her second Grand Slam win at the 2025 French Open.

• “I definitely feel a lot lighter,” she said this week in Beijing. “It feels like a practice tournament.”

Tune in: The China Open’s Round of 64 kicks off tonight at 11 PM ET, live on the Tennis Channel.

PWHL ticket sales surge ahead of expanded 3rd season

The PWHL is gearing up for a blockbuster third season, with the pro hockey league reporting surging season ticket sales across all markets — and 2025/26 expansion sides Seattle and Vancouver are leading the charge.

• PWHL executive board member Stan Kasten told Sports Business Journal last week that the new teams amassed more than 5,000 season ticket deposits each as of May, fueling growth throughout the emerging league.

• “In every city this year — every city — we have sold more season tickets than we had last year,” Kasten said. “We are going to be adding more teams much sooner than other people thought because the demand is there, the players are there.”

Looking ahead: The league is also banking on the 2026 Winter Olympics to boost interest, with 50+ PWHL players expected to take the global stage this February.

• “I expect it to be a really important milestone for us,” Kasten said of the Winter Games. “It should be a really special time for our league, and I hope a launchpad for the next phase of our development.”

What you had to say

This week, 38.64% of you said that Arsenal and Spain star Mariona Caldentey should have won the Ballon d’Or.

• 38.64%: Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)

• 18.98%: Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona)

• 13.22%: Alessia Russo (Arsenal)

• 12.54%: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea)

• 1.02%: Ewa Pajor (Barcelona)

• 15.59%: Ballon d'who?