Last October, Sandy Brondello led the New York Liberty to a WNBA title.
Recently-fired WNBA coach gets a second opportunity
Sandy Brondello, who was let go by the New York Liberty earlier this month, has reportedly been hired as head coach of the Toronto Tempo.
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Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
Less than a year later, she lost her job, with Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb making clear that the decision to move on from Brondello was not solely the result of the Liberty’s disappointing first round exit.
“This is not a results-based organization,” Kolb told reporters in a press conference after the decision was made. “This is not about not winning or winning. It’s about how do we position ourselves to be at the top of the league in a real sustainable way as the league evolves.”
The good news for Brondello is that she gets another chance to run a WNBA team; IX Basketball’s Howard Megdal reported on Thursday afternoon that the Toronto Tempo, one of the WNBA’s two incoming franchises, have selected Brondello to lead the franchise.
Sandy Brondello brings extensive WNBA experience to the league’s newest franchise
Brondello comes in as an experienced coach with two WNBA titles under her belt — one as head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 2014 and one as head coach of the Liberty in 2024. In four seasons coaching the Liberty, Brondello accrued a 107-53 record, tallying the most wins by a head coach in franchsie history.
Prior to her coaching tenure, she played in the WNBA for five seasons, and earned an All-Star selection in 1999. She’s also the head coach of the Australian women’s national basketball team, and led her team to a bronze medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Tempo has yet to announce the hiring, but multiple sources have confirmed it, including ESPN. The Tempo, led by general manager Monica Wright Rogers, was reportedly exploring Brondello as a prospective head coach candidate.
Now, they’ve officially secured one of the most veteran coaches in the league.
The Tempo are the second team to solidify their head coach decision in the offseason; last week, the Portland Fire official announced the hiring of Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Alex Sarama as the franchise’s first-ever head coach.
Still, two job openings remain: the Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm roles. Both teams fired their coaches in the offseason and have yet to commit to a new organizational leader. Whether they choose a more proven WNBA veteran like the Tempo, or opt for a fresh face from the NBA like the Fire, remains to be seen.
What’s certain, however, is that one of the most popular head coach candidates — Sandy Brondello — is off the market. And, Toronto kicks things off with one of the league’s most experienced coaches at the helm.
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