WNBA star Temi Fagbenle has fumed over the ‘laughable’ decision to suspend her Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello for calling Angel Reese a ‘protected species’.
The women’s basketball league is at the center of fierce controversy once again after Brondello was caught making the comments on a hot mic during Toronto’s 111-92 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Friday night.
While disagreeing with a foul call, which was awarded to Reese after she tried to make a lay-up despite knocking down Tempo player Nyara Sabally in the process, the Tempo coach was heard yelling: ‘Angel, she’s a protected species.’
Brondello issued a groveling apology to the Dream star on X amid outrage over her remark, admitting she used the phrase ‘in the emotion of the moment.’
However, the WNBA still handed her a one-game suspension the following day.
And Fagbenle, who used to play alongside Caitlin Clark in Indiana, has been left seething by the league’s decision.
Caitlin Clark’s ex-teammate Temi Fagbenle has fumed at the WNBA suspending her coach
Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello (left) sparked controversy by referring to Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese (right) as a ‘protected species’
‘“Protected species” is a figure of speech and I see nothing suspension-worthy with what @brondellosandy said,’ the 33-year-old wrote on Threads.
‘“Species” is the unfortunate and touchy word of this well-known phrase especially in the US’ racially charged climate, but if she was saying it about CC (an appropriate comparison re popularity) there would be no outrage, now would there. Suspension is laughable.’
Reese took aim at Brondello on X after she was heard making the ‘protected species’ comment on Friday night.
The 24-year-old quoted a post from another user who wrote ‘Calling a Black woman a species…’ and said: ‘ARE WE SURPRISED?! @SBrondello’ along with a clown emoji.
Brondello then made her apology and expressed ‘regret’ over the incident in a series of posts on her own X account the following day.
‘Angel, I’m sorry. Last night, in the emotion of the moment after Nyara’s injury, I used a phrase that I shouldn’t have used, and I take full responsibility for that. My frustration was with the officiating, but my words unfairly put the focus on you.
‘I also understand that my words carried an impact beyond what I intended, particularly for Black women in our league, and I’m deeply sorry for that. I’ve spent my career competing with, coaching and learning from incredible Black women.
‘I regret that my words caused hurt to a community I respect so deeply. I have a lot of respect for you as both a player and a person, and I sincerely apologize to you, your teammates, and the Dream organization for my comment.’
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley – who was embroiled in her own controversy after clashing with UConn’s Geno Auriemma – was among those who commended Brondello’s statement. ‘A real apology,’ she wrote on X.
Other fans swiftly joined in. One took to X and said: ‘That’s a classy response to an unnecessary discussion. These WNBA fan bases are irrational’.
In recent weeks, the WNBA has been mired by multiple situations where players have claimed they have been subjected to racial comments.
At the start of the month, Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas said that she received death threats and had been called racial slurs in the aftermath of her one-game suspension after she made contact with her fist to Caitlin Clark’s throat.
Last week Las Vegas Aces star Chelsea Gray also shared a racist message she had received on Instagram following her own clash with Clark on the court.
