\u201cI just felt that it probably wasn\u2019t the right fit anymore, to be quite honest,\u201d Brondello\u00a0said on Sue Bird\u2019s \u201cBird\u2019s Eye View\u201d podcast<\/a>\u00a0episode that was released on Halloween. \u201cAnd obviously, it was a leadership decision there. And I work best when I\u2019m in a partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n Closing the door on Brondello\u2019s tenure in New York came with a lot of risk<\/a>, especially amid Kolb\u2019s desire to compete with the Las Vegas Aces<\/a> to be another dynastic franchise in an effort to define the WNBA\u2019s current era.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a one year and done situation with what we\u2019re building here,\u201d he said while in that losing locker room in Phoenix. \u201cThis has been multiple years in the making, and last year we got it done. But it\u2019s these moments of pain for everything that we collectively have gone through \u2026 this is our fuel.\u201d<\/p>\n Continuity is a key component of accomplishing that, and having a new voice in 2026 and beyond makes the learning curve not only steep but also laced with pressure. But Kolb understood this when he noted in his Sept. 25 press conference that the team needed to nail this decision. \u201cIf we\u2019re going to make a bold decision like this,\u201d he said, \u201cour players deserve to get the best.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n But now Kolb, director of player relations & community engagement Epiphanny Prince<\/a>, director of player development Andrew Wade, director of player personnel Dustin Gray and assistant video & scouting coordinator Parker Lovett have gone through multiple rounds of interviews. They\u2019ve included initial zoom conversations, panel discussions where candidates would read and react to game situations and previous game film, and then in-person meetings with Wu Tsai. The question now lingers \u2014 who, according to the Liberty, is the best fit?<\/p>\n The franchise has, via NBA reporter Jake Fischer<\/a>, reportedly narrowed down their candidates to a top three, all of whom have NBA experience. Those final contenders are long-time NBA assistant and former G League and NBL head coach Will Weaver, current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela and Kristi Toliver<\/a>, a 2X WNBA champion and current associate head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. <\/p>\n While Weaver, Mahlalela and Toliver all do have NBA experience in common and are all below the age of 50, they all pose different arrays of advantages and limitations. While Kolb, his staff, team ownership, and presumably the franchises\u2019 star players weigh their options with a final decision on the horizon, below are explanations of how each candidate may fit. <\/p>\n Want even more women\u2019s sports in your inbox?<\/p>\n Subscribe now to The IX Sports<\/a> and receive our daily women\u2019s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.<\/p>\n Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.<\/p>\n Will Weaver \u2014 coaching advisor for the Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n Weaver was someone who appeared on coaching candidate lists<\/a> early on. He\u2019s is very familiar with the Liberty\u2019s ownership group, as he served on two different Brooklyn Nets coaching staffs under Kenny Atkinson from 2016-2018, and then under Jacque Vaughn<\/a> and Kevin Ollie<\/a> during the 2023-2024 season. In 2018, Weaver was tapped to lead the Nets\u2019 G League team, the Long Island Nets, where he gained his first major experience as a head coach. After completing one season as head coach, Weaver was honored as G League Coach of the Year<\/a> and led his team to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Shortly after that season, Weaver took a job as the head coach of the National Basketball League (NBL)\u2019s Sydney Kings in Australia. He was lauded<\/a> for how he brought an NBA style defense that included a mix of switching and drop coverage to the Kings, and relied upon offense coming from getting out in transition. Weaver\u2019s Kings led the NBL in three-point attempts and free throw attempts. <\/p>\n What remains intriguing about Weaver is whether or not he understands how difficult of a task it will be to coach the Liberty. Is Weaver up for the task of head-coaching in New York, where there needs to be a balance between aiming to win now while also developing talent, both young and old? At times throughout Brondello\u2019s tenure, there was frustration with how younger players with potential were being buried by star veterans who were maybe past their prime but, to a certain extent, represented both the franchise and the vibrant city. <\/p>\n Weaver would like folks to know that he does understand this tension. He spoke about it on The Benas Podcast<\/a> back in June of 2022. He explained how, when he was interviewing to become the head coach of the Kings, those two sometimes conflicting principles \u2014 honoring veterans and developing talent \u2014 were what ownership wanted. <\/p>\n On the show, Weaver addressed this tension, and explained to Benas the kinds of questions he would ask a new franchise to make sure they are on the same page about both winning now and developing new talent. \u201cWhat are the things that you\u2019re going to be looking for?\u201d Weaver hypothetically proposed. \u201cWhat are the things that you\u2019re going to, if we accomplish them, you\u2019re going to say \u2014 this is a smashing success?\u201d<\/p>\n Weaver noted on the show that the Kings ownership gave him a list of priorities, consisting of: filling a talent pipeline for players and staff, being the most prepared team in the league, and ensuring the fans knew how much the team wanted to win for them. Those priorities all sound pretty close, if not exactly what Kolb, Wu Tsai and Liberty CEO Keia Clarke want for the franchise.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Questions that remain about Weaver include his knowledge of the WNBA and his understanding of how to lead women, something he has never done before. Weaver, unlike other WNBA coaches like the Mercury\u2019s Nate Tibbetts, doesn\u2019t appear to have a clear connection to women\u2019s basketball. Tibbetts\u2019 father coached girls high school basketball, and while Tibbetts\u2019 brand as a \u201cgirl dad\u201d has been a running joke, it does paint a genuine picture of his connection to girls\u2019 and women\u2019s empowerment through sports, a bedrock component of the WNBA.<\/p>\n Weaver as a candidate comes with other concerns that are not insurmountable but still significant. He has held a plethora of professional roles in the United States and abroad, but he has struggled to maintain continuity in most of them. He was also criticized during his time with the Kings<\/a> for his lack of adaptability during a playoff series and his substitution patterns. The latter is something that Brondello wasn\u2019t always sharp at, as well, and may be high on the franchise leadership\u2019s priority list for its new coach. <\/p>\n Ultimately, it\u2019s hard to deny that Weaver is accomplished, intelligent, well spoken and well educated \u2014 he received a masters in education from Sam Houston State University after getting his bachelor\u2019s degree <\/a>from the University of Texas in philosophy and kinesiology.\u00a0But the ways in which he connects with his players and his ability to manage personalities \u2014 a key skill for any coach looking to lead the Liberty \u2014has been less documented compared to his analytical and modern basketball mind. Weaver\u2019s resume speaks volumes about his accomplishments, but many questions still linger. <\/p>\n Jama Mahlalela\u2014 assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n The Liberty\u2019s front office watched the 2025 WNBA Finals closely and paid careful attention to how Becky Hammon<\/a> coached masterfully during the final months of the 2025 campaign. The way Hammon not only implemented junk defenses to begin each Finals game but also how much ingenuity she used<\/a> to get a team on the verge of missing the playoffs to win it all was the stuff the Liberty wanted to study.<\/p>\n Hammon used her creativity and her emotional intelligence to get her team to the finish line. Jama Mahlalela \u2014 the least familiar name of the bunch \u2014 had a knack for doing just that when he was an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The New York Post\u2018s Madeline Kenney was the one to initially report <\/a>that an \u201cNBA Eastern Conference assistant coach\u201d was one of the finalists to lead the Liberty, before reporter Jake Fischer later revealed it to be Mahlalela. Shayna Rubin, who, like Kenney, has been following Mahlalela\u2019s career for some years, wrote a detailed feature<\/a> for the Mercury News back in 2022 about why Mahlalela was a rising star. Rubin specifically talked about Mahlalela\u2019s ability to balance chasing a championship and developing young role players \u2014 a balance that, as was mentioned, is something the Liberty are desperately looking for.<\/p>\n Rubin explained that Mahlalela\u2019s analytical background meshed incredibly well with his aptitude as a communicator. She also reported that Mahlalela\u2019s strength lies in turning droves of data and analytics into much more digestible guides to help players develop.<\/p>\n Want more women\u2019s hockey content? Subscribe to The Ice Garden! The staff of The Ice Garden has paved the way for women\u2019s hockey coverage from the college ranks to international competitions. Of course, that includes in-depth coverage of the PWHL too. For a limited time, free signups at The Ice Garden can sample all the work they do. Check it out, sign up now!<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very forward-thinking,\u201d Kirk Lacob, the Warriors\u2019 executive vice president of basketball operations, told Rubin<\/a> about Mahlalela. \u201cHe\u2019s not reactive, he\u2019s proactive about things. I don\u2019t want to say we\u2019ve never had somebody like that, but he\u2019s a different breed from any coach we\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n Before embarking on an NBA coaching career, Mahlalela worked for the Toronto Raptors as a community projects supervisor. Throughout his journey in professional basketball, Mahlalela has dedicated a lot of time to philanthropy, something that CEO Clarke would see as aligned with the Liberty organization. Mahlalela, who is half-Canadian and half-Swazi, has been involved in multiple charitable organizations<\/a> that aim to develop basketball in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland).<\/p>\n His global awareness and charitable spirit further make him a fit for the franchise; recall that Brondello\u2019s mayoral tendencies, in addition to her ability to relate to players, were heavily valued during her four years in New York. Brondello was one of the faces of the franchise and she represented it well; so far, it seems that Mahlalela might have the personality to do the same. <\/p>\n Still, Mahlalela comes with limitations. Although he\u2019s been a head coach before, most significantly for the Raptors\u2019 G League team Raptors 905, he hasn\u2019t been in the head coaching seat when the stakes are very high. He has a deep emotional intelligence, a global mindset, and an empathetic personality, but these abilities have not quite been put to the test when adversity strikes. <\/p>\n Kristi Toliver<\/a> \u2014 associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury<\/p>\n And last but certainly not least: Toliver. She is the only candidate on this list that has extensive experience leading women, and that means as both a player and a coach. She\u2019s a 2X WNBA champion winning titles on both the 2016 Sparks and the 2019 Mystics. On both rosters she played with and gained the respect of players with a vast array of personalities including Candace Parker<\/a>, Chelsea Gray<\/a>, Nneka Ogwumike<\/a> and Elena Delle Donne<\/a>.<\/p>\n Those qualifications ought not be overlooked, especially when both Weaver and Mahlalela haven\u2019t worked with professional women\u2019s basketball players before.<\/p>\n What makes Toliver a well-rounded candidate is the fact that she has both the NBA experience that New York clearly desires, and also the authentic connection to not only the WNBA\u2019s past but to its present, as well.<\/p>\n She has four years as an assistant at the NBA level, coaching during some of her final WNBA off-seasons for both the Washington Wizards and then the Dallas Mavericks. And after she tore her ACL during her last professional season for the Mystics in 2023, she then got the call from the Mercury to help Tibbetts adjust to the WNBA as his associate head coach. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was like four years of college for me,\u201d Toliver Told The IX Basketball about her NBA experiences. \u201cI was just like a student, and I soaked it up and I gave my flair to it because of my experience in the W. I brought that to the NBA. It can go both ways.\u201d <\/p>\n Order \u2018Rare Gems\u2019 and save 30% If you enjoy Megdal\u2019s coverage of women\u2019s basketball every Wednesday at The IX Sports, you will love \u201cRare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.\u201d Click the link below to order<\/a> and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout to save 30%!<\/p>\n Toliver explained to The IX Basketball back at the 2025 WNBA finals exactly what she brought to the NBA. One of her most impactful contributions came when she regularly helped Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> with some of his emotional regulation skills, especially when it came to his frustrations with the officiating. These experiences demonstrated her emotional intelligence, which is a trait the Liberty prioritize. <\/p>\n Hiring Toliver would also be a symbol that the Liberty continue to value elevating women, and especially former players. Bringing her on would be another example since Becky Hammon\u2019s reintroduction to the WNBA of how the NBA has worked in concert with the WNBA to make the W better.<\/p>\n Toliver may seem like an obvious choice to some, but one large question looms: she is not so far away from her playing career \u2014 how would that bode for her in a role that demands and expects immediate results?<\/p>\n Also, out of the three, Toliver is the only coach without at least one season of head coaching experience. Though, to be clear, there have been a slew of former NBA players<\/a> who had no head coaching experience and then were hired into those roles anyway. (See Steve Nash<\/a>, J.J. Redick<\/a>, Jason Kidd<\/a> and many others). <\/p>\n The double standard is an important detail, but even without it, Toliver coaching her former teammates could be a potential limitation to consider. Just think about the dynamics that emerged when Katie Smith<\/a> went from playing to associate head coaching and then head coaching in just a few years (hint: they weren\u2019t great). <\/p>\n Those emerging dynamics are important to consider. But Toliver, whose career came to a close not even three years ago, is a New York Liberty head coach finalist who remains steadfast.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m ready for it,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m built for it. I\u2019ve been thinking about that for the last five years, since I got into coaching. I think I have enough experience as a player and coach to lead women. I think women want to be led by someone that\u2019s gone through that, who has been in their seat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The IX Basketball, a 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball newsroom powered by The Next![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_24951542-1.jpg\")
Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (left) reviews with assistant coach Jama Mahlalela (center) during warm up before a game against the New York Knicks at Scotiabank Arena on Dec 9, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, CAN;. Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
In case you missed it, The Ice Garden<\/a> is now part of The IX Sports family!<\/p>\n![\"Kristi](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DAA7560-2.jpg\")
Phoenix Mercury associate head coach Kristi Toliver greets former teammate Myisha Hines-Allen at CareFirst Arena in Washington D.C. on July 16, 2024. Photo Credit: Domenic Allegra |The Next<\/p>\n
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The IX Basketball and The IX Sports, wrote this deeply reported book. \u201cRare Gems\u201d follows four connected generations of women\u2019s basketball pioneers, from Elvera \u201cPeps\u201d Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.<\/p>\n
The IX Basketball<\/a>: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX Sports<\/a>. 24\/7\/365 women\u2019s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.<\/p>\n