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Jul 13, 2026; College Park, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) in action against the Los Angeles Sparks in the first quarter at Gateway Center Arena at College Park. © Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Usually, the WNBA is filled with drama because of Caitlin Clark. While the Indiana Fever had a game she’ll likely never forget on Friday night, Angel Reese also had a moment of controversy.
The incident came late in the Atlanta Dream’s 111-92 win when Toronto Tempo forward Nyara Sabally suffered what appeared to be an injury to her ribs while colliding with Reese. That’s when everything went haywire.
Reese Thought Tempo Coach Used Racial Slur
After the foul, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello could be heard calling Reese a “protected species” over the TV microphone. See, it’s the species part that caught everyone off-guard, as that is not a typical term used to describe a human being stateside.
However, this situation is a bit different, as Brondello is Australian. She has an entirely different vocabulary than what is usually heard in America. Words that mean something there don’t always mean the same things here, if that makes sense.
In fact, Aussies have been known to frequently use the term “species” to describe all sorts of things. In other words, it is not remotely close to being known as any type of disrespectful term where Brondello is from.
Still, it’s an awkward situation. One that Brondello surely would have hoped to avoid. It’s the type of incident that some will never forget, or move on from.
Even Reese herself appeared to be offended after the game. Yet, as noted, she wasn’t surprised.
Others would suggest that Brondello did know what she was doing, and that the word doesn’t exactly mean anything differently in Australia. Still, that doesn’t mean it was intended in a racial way. She could have simply been using the word to help support the fact that she was suggesting that refs take extra precautions with a player of Reese’s magnitude.
Still, it’s the latest in a long line of controversial moments to emerge out of the WNBA, and it’s one Reese likely won’t forget the next time the Dream take on the Tempo, especially if Brondello is still on the sidelines. It is not known whether the WNBA plans to conduct any sort of investigation into the matter. Brondello has not reacted to the incident, other than to say that she hopes Sabally is ok.
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