Toronto Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello has apologized to Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese.
Brondello was caught on mic saying, "Angel, she's a protected species" to referees after a play that left Tempo centre Nyara Sabally injured.
The comment caught Reese's attention, who used the clown emoji in a post on X after the game, referring to Brondello.
A day later, Brondello apologized for her choice of words.
"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," Brondello wrote on X.
"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."
Sabally was shaken after an under-the-basket collision with Reese with 3:16 remaining. She left the game, needing help after she spread herself out on the floor to gather herself.
“That was a hard hit,” Brondello said post-game. “She's not feeling great at the moment. She hurt her ribs, so we don't know what that is at the moment. Hopefully, it's not too serious."
--with files from The Canadian Press