New York's Australian super-coach Sandy Brondello is within reach of her second WNBA title, a decade on from the Opals mentor's maiden success at her first attempt.
Brondello's Liberty completed their revenge mission against two-time defending champions Las Vegas Aces with a 76-62 victory to clinch a 3-1 semi-final series win on Monday (AEDT).
They'll face the winners between Connecticut and Minnesota in the WNBA Finals from Friday, those sides set to play a deciding fifth game of their semi-final series on Wednesday.
Brondello, fresh off a bronze medal campaign with Australia at this year's Paris Olympics, won a title with Phoenix in her first season as a WNBA head coach in 2014.
She looked on track for another last season with foundation WNBA club New York, who will enter a sixth Finals series chasing a maiden title, before the Aces trounced them 3-1 in a one-sided finale.
A four-time Olympian and three-time medallist as the Opals' point guard, Brondello is determined to make amends 12 months on.
"If you don't win there's no satisfaction there, is there?," the Australian coach said of the Liberty's unfinished business.
Brondello was bumped to the floor in an accidental sideline collision with her star centre Jonquel Jones but was able to laugh it off afterwards.
"Jumped right back up didn't I? Still got it," Brondello smiled.
"I was a little embarrassed, I was like, 'Oh, god do I dance? what do I do now?'."
Brondello had encouraged Jones (14 points, seven rebounds) pre-game to rise above the frustrations that had led to foul trouble in the series.
"She maintained her emotional stability there and went back in ... she was making pretty big shots," Brondello said.
"It's just about staying in the moment."
Sabrina Ionescu rebounded from a rare off game to score 22 points and end the Aces' record 12-game home playoff winning streak.
