Angel Reese Responds to Sandy Brondello's 'Protected Species' Apology

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese responded to Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello's apology after Brondello referred to Reese as a "protected species" during the Dream and the Tempo's July 17 game.

"First, I appreciate Sandy's apology, but I also appreciate the love and support that I've had for the last 48 hours. It has been very overwhelming with a lot of love, and also other things. But I am grateful that the league did take action. There is no place for discrimination or hate in this league from anyone, from fans to coaches to players," Reese said, per a video from Malik Brown of ClutchPoints.

"And I'm just grateful that we are able to move on from the situation and just play winning basketball. The WNBA is supposed to be positive, and we are going in a great light right now, so I just want to continue that and move forward."

Angel Reese shared a statement regarding Sandy Brondello and the incident on Friday.

Says she’s appreciative of Sandy’s apology, but also of the support of her from others the past 24 hours

Brondello was suspended for one game pic.twitter.com/xyJxAYFzm4
— Malik Brown (@_MalikATL) July 19, 2026

This response comes after several apologies from Brondello, one of which was on social media on July 18 and another was when speaking to the media on Sunday.

On Sunday, Brondello (who was suspended for one game because of her comment) said that she reached out to Angel Reese immediately after the game to apologize directly. She also reiterated that the phrase is common in Australia and doesn't have any racial implications there, although she also understands that she isn't in Australia right now, and that words hold different weight in the United States.

What Will Happen Next After Sandy Brondello 'Protected Species' Fallout?

Now that Reese and Brondello have acknowledged the situation publicly and both appear ready to move on from the comments (after Brondello serves her one-game suspension, which will take place during the Tempo's July 20 game against the Las Vegas Aces), hopefully the league can move forward.

It will be interesting to see whether this impacts Brondello's career in any way. There's no question that she's a great coach and has done a wonderful job in her first season with the Tempo. It also speaks volumes that her own players have come to her defense, which Tempo forward Temi Fagbenle (who is a Black woman) did on social media.

Ultimately, it's hard to imagine that Brondello will face any further consequences after her suspension is served. She was clearly emotional when speaking to the media and appears to be genuinely regretful about what she said, which suggests she has learned from the incident.

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