When Angel Reese’s Atlanta Dream squad defeated Sandy Brondello’s Toronto Tempo on Saturday, the headline wasn’t the 94-87 win that the Dream pulled off. Instead, it was the hot mic moment when Brondello called Reese a “protected species” as she complained to the referees.
In light of her comments on Reese, the WNBA made the decision to suspend Brondello for one game without pay. As per USA Today’s Meghan L. Hall, the league released a statement that reminded everyone on the sidelines to exercise prudence.
“The WNBA expects all coaches and team personnel to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respect that are fundamental to our league.”
After the game, Brondello went on X to issue a public apology to Reese, acknowledging how her comment “carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league.”
Brondello, who’d won two WNBA championships in her coaching career prior to taking over the expansion Tempo squad, also explained that she’d been carried away by the “emotion of the moment after Nyara’s injury.”
With three minutes left in the final frame, Nyara Sabally went down to the floor as she defended Reese. This was later determined to be a rib injury that ruled Sabally out for the rest of the game.
“Are We Surprised?”: Angel Reese Reacts to Sandy Brondello’s “Protected Species” Comment
Before Sandy Brondello tweeted her apology, however, Angel Reese already weighed in on the matter.
In response to a tweet from podcaster Kee Rose about “calling a Black woman a species,” Reese expressed her frustration with Brondello.
“ARE WE SURPRISED?!”
For what it’s worth, CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney reported that “protected species” is a term that refers to “a player or team that gets preferential treatment” in Brondello’s home country of Australia.
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