Before landing in New York in 2022, Sandy Brondello spent eight seasons with the Phoenix Mercury as a head coach.
All eight seasons ended with winning records and she won a WNBA championship in her first season with the Mercury in 2014. Star big Brittney Griner held it down for that franchise on the defensive end while Diana Taurasi torched opposing defenses en route to finishing as a runner-up to the MVP award in that championship season.
A 20-year veteran, all with the Mercury, Taurasi enjoyed good years under Brondello from 2014-21. And the current Liberty head coach said her time with the future Hall of Famer was a privilege.
“Quite amazing really,” Brondello said about Taurasi’s career before the Liberty faced the Mercury Wednesday. “It’s been a privilege for me to get to coach one of the greatest of all time.”
For her career, Taurasi entered Wednesday’s game averaging 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. She’s shooting 38.2% from the field and 35.2% from deep. The sharpshooter won an MVP award in 2009 after averaging 20.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 40% from deep.
Taurasi’s highest-scoring season under Brondello came in 2018, when she averaged 20.7 points on 44.6% shooting (38.3% from deep).
“Her ability to shoot, I haven’t seen anyone as good as her,” Brondello said about Taurasi. The Mercury lifer previously held the WNBA’s single-season record for three-pointers made after connecting on 121 treys in 2006. Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu broke the record in 2023, totaling 124 in the league’s first 40 game season.
WNBA teams only played 34 regular-season games back in 2006 when Taurasi previously set the record.
“It’s fun to see her out there just having fun still at the age of [41],” Brondello said of Taurasi, who’ll turn 42 next month.
KAHLEAH COPPER POTW
The Liberty hosted the Western Conference Player of Week Wednesday: star Kahleah Copper.
After arriving in Phoenix in a surprising offseason trade from the Chicago Sky, Copper started the season averaging 29.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. The Mercury entered Barclays center with a 3-3 record, including a statement win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on May 21.
“I think she’s just continuing to be herself, being confident and being aggressive and doing whatever the team needs to help get them a win.” Breanna Stewart told the Daily News Wednesday.
DETROIT SHOCK RETURN?
The NBA’s Detroit Pistons are in talks with the WNBA to revive the Shock in a future expansion, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. The Detroit Shock was established in 1998 as one of the league’s first expansion franchises. The franchise won three championships — 2003, 2006, 2008 — under former Pistons enforcer Bill Laimbeer.
The team relocated to Tusla for the 2010-15 seasons before transitioning into the current-day Dallas Wings. The Shock thrived with stars like Swim Cash and Cheryl Ford on the team.
The franchise also drafted Brondello in the 1998 draft.
“You’re seeing more and more interest of [WNBA] teams coming back or just being brought to our league and I think that it’s really important and shows that women’s basketball is wanted and teams in the WNBA are a hot commodity,” Stewart told The News.
The league officially announced plans to add a 14th franchise in Toronto in 2026 and commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she’s “pretty confident” in the league having 16 teams by the start of the 2028 season.