The new head coach of Macalester women’s basketball was toiled in the athletic department offices throughout summer. AD Donovan was focused on replacing one of the most prolific scorers in program history, meeting her new players and establishing her team’s culture, all the while familiarizing herself with a new city.
Then, one fateful Thursday, she received an email from Ron Osterman, the assistant director of athletics – facilities at Mac. “The New York Liberty wants to use our facility. Would you like to be their staff liaison?” The Liberty are the defending WNBA champions. They were visiting the Twin Cities to face the Minnesota Lynx, when they had their practice at the University of Minnesota canceled just before leaving New York.
The vice president of business operations for the Liberty reached out to local schools after she got the news, scrambling to set up a pregame practice for her squad before they faced the best team in the WNBA this season: a showdown between last year’s champion and this year’s favorite. Osterman was the first to respond, and Macalester’s facilities were deemed suitable. Now, it was up to Donovan.
“As a women’s basketball coach and a big WNBA fan, my answer was, ‘Oh my god, of course, yes. We would love to do that,’” Donovan said.
While it was only a 90-minute practice on Friday, Aug. 15, there was much to be gained for all parties. The Liberty were impressed, not only with Macalester’s athletic facilities, but also with the support from the Macalester community. In fact, they were so dazzled by Mac that the team had planned to return if they had advanced in the playoffs to face the Lynx.
The WNBA playoffs began on Sept. 14, with the opening round set for a best-of-three series. It looked like the Liberty had a date with the top-seeded Lynx (who took care of business against the eighth-seed Golden State Valkyries) when they took the opening game and had two chances at winning and advancing. However, the Phoenix Mercury stormed back and took the last two games, meaning that Mac would not host the defending champs a second time. “Friday night, our whole coaches group chat was [crossing our fingers],” Donovan said, as they hoped for a win.
“They were going to be back for practice on Saturday and Monday,” Donovan said. “They would’ve been back if they won. I don’t know how much of that was superstition, because they won the game after that practice, but also I think we were easy to work with. Ron was very organized and the location was great. They liked that there was a Jamba Juice for post-practice.”
It was a shame that they couldn’t pull it off, and not just for Macalester, as the school hoped to continue that connection into future years. The unsuccessful season and first-round playoff exit resulted in the firing of Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, just one year removed from a championship. Donovan hopes this wouldn’t be the last time we’ll see a WNBA team on Doug Bolstoroff Court. Brondello is a high-profile hire and will likely end up at the helm of a new team next summer.
As nice as it was to see the “Fighting Fold” banner and other tidings of our very own home court on the Liberty Instagram (@nyliberty, scroll to Aug. 15), it was a great learning moment for coach Donovan, her new assistant coach Taylor Pilot and four Macalester players that got to attend practice and learn from some of the best in the world. Ellie Corbett ’26, Adi Meggido ’26, Acacia Edmond ’27 and Cady Davis ’28 got the chance to meet some of the best players in the world, including Sabrina Ionescu, Natasha Cloud and Breanna Stewart (2023 WNBA Most Valuable Player). “A lot of them came up and introduced themselves to the players,” Donovan said. “It was an incredible experience that we got to see behind the scenes of what a professional-level practice looks like.
“Their coaching staff was incredibly thorough and generous with their time, and my biggest takeaway from watching them was how high-level they’re thinking [about] the game. We have to develop [our team’s] IQ.”
While only four players and two coaches attended that Friday afternoon session, it was an hour-anda-half that will stick with Mac women’s basketball for a while. Donovan, who previously coached women’s basketball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, will begin her tenure with the Scots this winter. She hopes to bring the pro-level excellence she witnessed in that practice to each Scots session. In a year with lots of moving pieces, that culture will never leave. While Mac may never be WNBA champions, they hope to capture the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) crown. If they do, shoot some credit over to coach Brondello and the Liberty.
