It was a festive basketball evening … stretching all the way to San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday as New York basketball shined in various aspects. Here in Brooklyn, the stakes are less high, but the New York Liberty put on a championship-level effort while saying hello to some former champions and old friends.
New York welcomed Isabelle Harrison, Brian Lankton, Olaf Lange, Nyara Sabally, and Sandy Brondello back to Brooklyn. They were all integral parts of the success and culture the Liberty have built
throughout the 2020s. More on them shortly.
For tonight, the pace was set by the 2024 Finals MVP. Jonquel Jones was all over the court in the first half as she showcased everything that makes her one of the best players in basketball.
JJ was also assisted by Satou Sabally’s best game in seafoam. Sabally has been working her way back into top form following some injuries to begin the season.
Even with the excellence of Jones and Sabally, the Tempo hung around and made things interesting in the third quarter.
However, it wasn’t enough as Breanna Stewart’s eight fourth quarter points kept the Tempo at bay and made any thoughts of an improbable comeback non-existent.
Final score: New York Liberty 97, Toronto Tempo 82
The win was New York’s third in a row as they improve to 6-4 on the season. They are 1-0 in the Commissioner’s Cup and the +15 scoring margin will prove helpful down the line.
The Homecoming(s)
At morning shootaroud, Sandy Brondello acted coy when asked about her expectations for the evening, smiling and saying, “I don’t know. I don’t know if they love me, and who hates me. So, we’ll see.”
Of course, both Nyara Sabally and Brondello received huge ovations from the Barclays Center crowd when introduced in Toronto’s starting lineup, though Sandy kept true to her earlier promise: “I am an emotional person [but] no, I’m not gonna cry. Don’t be silly.”
Nor did she cry when the Liberty showed a video tribute on the Jumbotron, which played during the under-5 media timeout of the first quarter. The video honored all the familiar faces: Brondello, Sabally, Isabelle Harrison, as well as Olaf Lange and Brian Lankton, the two assistant coaches that Brondello brought to Toronto with her.
Brondello did say she was excited to see all of her old friends, from her ex-players to her ex-coworkers: “I have so many great friendships here, and that’s not going to change just because I coach a different team.”
There was one brief slip of the veil, where the only championship-wining coach in Liberty history alluded to the turmoil of the 2025 season, a first-round exit that ended her tenure in New York. When asked for the main lesson she learned during the time with the franchise, Brondello laughed heartily and flipped the question around: “On the record or off the record?”
And after a couple platitudes, she let it be known that she isn’t yearning for the past: “I know what situation I want to be in and where I can be my best.”
Nyara Sabally’s time with the Liberty didn’t end with any controversy. The Tempo selected her in the expansion draft, and for her former team, it was simply a numbers game.
“I never felt like I wasn’t wanted anywhere I was, so luckily I never experienced that. I’ve always been fortunate,” she said at shootaround.
Sabally, true to form, wasn’t too talkative about the matchup with the Libs. The younger Sabally sister told us she was excited to see Satou again, play with her dog, and play in front of the New York crowd again: “I have obviously really good memories here in this gym with the fans. I mean, they’ve always been so amazing, so it’s gonna be just a nice little welcoming moment, I think. Yeah, it’s exciting.”
Liberty fans gave Nyara a big cheer during intros and the tribute video, but once the game started, that was that, and the one-time WNBA Finals hero had to contend with Jonquel Jones on the glass. Not very fun.
Next up
To say there’s a LOT going on with the Indiana Fever is an understatement. They’ll be in town on June 6 in primetime. Tip after 8 p.m. ET.
- Boxscore: New York Liberty 97, Toronto Tempo 82 – WNBA
- Game Highlights: New York Liberty 97, Toronto Tempo 82 (Video) – WNBA
- Liberty surge past the Tempo as Jonquel Jones powers New York’s third straight win – Doug Feinberg – AP
- Liberty get best of former coach in dominant win over Tempo – Bridget Reilly – New York Post
- Ex-Liberty star Nyara Sabally gets warm welcome in bittersweet Barclays Center return with Tempo – Bridget Reilly – New York Post
- Nyara Sabally, Sandy Brondello return to Brooklyn to face the Liberty ($) – Fiifi Frimpong – New York Daily News
- Liberty get look at Nyara Sabally in much bigger role with Tempo: ‘It was time for her’ ($) – Fiifi Frimpong – New York Daily News
