Toronto Tempo announce proven winner Sandy Brondello as first head coach

Sandy Brondello is bringing her wealth of WNBA knowledge — and her championship experience — to Toronto.

The Tempo announced Brondello as their first-ever head coach on Tuesday.

The Australian native leaves the New York Liberty just one season after she led the franchise to their first WNBA title.  She leaves as the winningest coach in Liberty history, an accolade she knows well as she holds the same record in the Phoenix Mercury franchise.

What’s more, Brondello received offers from two other franchises — presumably the Dallas Wings and the Seattle Storm — who also had openings yet chose Toronto and the fresh start this expansion team represents.

“I had a few options there, but in the end, I was really intrigued about starting from the beginning and building something with really good people,” Brondello said.

General manager Monica Wright Rogers explained the process of securing the Australian to lead the league’s first venture outside of the United States.

“I couldn’t shake that feeling, to want someone that knows this league, that wouldn’t have a huge learning curve, especially with this being an expansion franchise in a new country,” Rogers said of her head coach search.

With this latest hire, the Tempo become the first team in the W to be led by both a general manager and head coach who have played in the league, a unique setup both Rogers and Brondello were quick to highlight at the press conference.

Brondello’s considerable coaching experience is punctuated by two championships, one in each of her last two stops. But, going beyond her time on the bench, Brondello is a unique leader simply because of the 27 years of experience she boasts as a player and coach. For a league that’s 30 years young, there aren’t many other options with such extensive of a resume.

Brondello shared her motivation to build a solid team culture, emphasizing that she was first of all a player’s coach, given her experience as one herself. She also spoke on how she would build that culture, especially given the situation of the impending CBA and the wealth of free agents available. Of all the players available for veteran contracts in the league, just two are committed for the 2026 season. All other veteran players are seeking new deals.

“So we have an opportunity to bring in the right players and we’re excited about that. And you talk about culture, that’s the most important thing when you’re starting any kind of franchise,” the new head coach said. “You’ve got to see the vision of what kind of legacy do we want to leave behind. It’s not just bringing in talented players, but we want to bring players with high character.”

What’s not lost on Brondello is the national presence this team will have. As Canada’s only WNBA team, and with games scheduled for next season in both Vancouver and Montreal already, the Tempo’s reach will expand far outside the grasp of mere Torontonians.

But even as questions loom about expansion draft details, the upcoming CBA negotiations, and who will eventually fill out the roster, Brondello’s path to success is clear.

“The goal is to bring a championship to Toronto. That hasn’t changed. My narrative hasn’t changed. I like winning. Yeah, it’s fun, but I also know it’s hard and we’ll go to work about starting from the ground up.”

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