WNBA SUSPENDS BRONDELLO FOR 'PROTECTED SPECIES' COMMENT ON REESE

The WNBA suspended Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello for one game after she was overheard calling Atlanta Dream player Angel Reese a "protected species" during a game on Friday. Reese accepted Brondello's apology and said she appreciated the league's action. Brondello made the comment after Toronto player Nyara Sabally was injured and called for a foul following contact with Reese, with the remark picked up by broadcast audio.

Brondello apologised on social media and said the phrase is commonly used in Australian sports to express frustration over perceived unfavourable officiating decisions. She stated the comment was not directed at Reese personally and reflected her emotional reaction to Sabally's injury. Reese responded to the incident on social media with "ARE WE SURPRISED?!" and a clown face emoji. In the United States, the phrase carries different connotations and has been interpreted as derogatory language. Brondello is in her first season as head coach of the expansion Tempo franchise.

Reese said publicly on Sunday that she was grateful for both Brondello's apology and the league's response. She stated there was "no place for discrimination or hate" in the WNBA and expressed her desire to move forward and focus on winning basketball. Brondello acknowledged on Sunday that she should have considered the cultural context of her words given the significance of racism as an issue in America, despite the phrase being routine in Australian sports discourse.