Toronto Tempo center Temi Fagbenle on Sunday condemned the WNBA’s decision to suspend head coach Sandy Brondello over comments she made about Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese.
Brondello was suspended for one game after referring to Reese as a “protected species” while arguing a foul call with the officials during Toronto’s 111-92 loss to the Dream on Friday.
The remark sparked widespread backlash against Brondello, who later issued a public apology, saying she regretted her choice of words and never intended to cause harm.
Shortly after the league announced the suspension, Temi Fagbenle came to her head coach’s defense, arguing that Brondello’s comment was not “suspension-worthy.”
“‘Protected species’ is a figure of speech,” Fagbenle wrote on Threads. “And I see nothing suspension-worthy with what @brondellosandy said.”
Fagbenle, who played alongside Caitlin Clark during the Fever star’s rookie season, also suggested the reaction would have been very different if Brondello had made the same comment about Clark instead of Reese.
“‘Species’ is the unfortunate and touchy word of this well-known phrase, especially in the U.S.’s racially charged climate. But if she was saying it about CC (an appropriate comparison in terms of popularity), there would be no outrage, now would there? Suspension is laughable.”
Fagbenle echoed the sentiment of a section of fans who believe Brondello was unfairly punished, given that she is from Australia, where the phrase is commonly used in sports to describe players who receive favorable treatment from officials.
OutKick Reporter Slams WNBA for Punishing Sandy Brondello
Temi Fagbenle wasn’t the only one to defend Sandy Brondello. OutKick reporter Dan Zaksheske argued that the WNBA came down too hard on Brondello. He compared the situation to Alyssa Thomas’ flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, which resulted in a one-game suspension for the Mercury star.
“Punching someone in the throat gets you the same penalty in the WNBA as using a common sports idiom that is purposefully misunderstood to create a moment of victimhood?” Zaksheske wrote on X.
He went on to accuse Reese of “playing the victim” by escalating the situation with a controversial tweet.
“Angel wasn’t offended. She pretended to be offended because victimhood is a huge part of her brand.”
Reese addressed the controversy by posting a clown emoji before Brondello’s suspension was announced. She has yet to respond to Brondello’s apology. However, she did repost a message from a fan praising her for being an inspiration and for standing up for herself.
Brondello will serve her one-game suspension when the Tempo face the Las Vegas Aces on Monday.
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