Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon defended Sandy Brondello on Monday amid her one-game suspension for an inappropriate remark directed at Angel Reese on Friday. Before the Aces matched up with her rival coach’s Toronto Tempo, Hammon rejected the notion that Brondello intentionally hurt Reese’s feelings.
“I mean, I just gave her [Sandy] a big hug when I saw her,” Hammon told reporters. “I know that’s not where her heart is; I know her as a very, very high-quality person. Someone who’s filled with a lot of love for everyone.”
Hammon and Brondello coached against each other in consecutive WNBA Finals series in 2023 and 2024. Despite their battles, they seem to share a great relationship off the court. Given Brondello’s clean history as one of the most uncontroversial personalities, it’s no surprise that Hammon jumped to her defense amid intense scrutiny, especially from Reese’s fans.
However, it also led to severe criticism against Hammon. Many fans reminded her of her silence about Las Vegas waiving Chennedy Carter on Jul. 7.
“It was no comment when it came to Chennedy but have a whole soliloquy for Sandy,” one fan said.
More reactions followed.
Becky Hammon’s Aces dominate Tempo without coach Sandy Brondello
Sandy Brondello served her one-game suspension against Becky Hammon’s Aces on Monday. Her husband and Tempo’s associate head coach, Olaf Lange, stepped in to lead the team. The Aces won the game 109-83.
A’ja Wilson led the way with 26 points on 11 of 14 shots. She added six rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Jackie Young scored 24 while dishing 12 assists. She shot 10 of 17, including 4 of 10 from deep.
It was a lopsided game after the second quarter as the Aces extended a six-point first-quarter lead to 16 by halftime. Las Vegas got back on the winning track, improving to 18-7 on the season. Meanwhile, the Tempo fell to 10-16.
Read more:
- “Her Back is Still Disaligned”: Tempo Coach Gives Concerning Nyara Sabally Injury Update After Angel Reese Collision
- “I Want to Challenge Them”: Podcaster Points to Tempo Star As Caitlin Clark’s Competitor for One Shot Type
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