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Australian Sandy Brondello will be coaching the first WNBA franchise outside the United States. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n Australian Sandy Brondello will be coaching the first WNBA franchise outside the United States. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n
Australian Sandy Brondello has been confirmed as the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first Women’s National Basketball Association team.<\/p>\n
“It’s an incredible honour to be part of this historic moment for basketball in Canada,” Brondello, 57, said.<\/p>\n
“From my first conversations with the Tempo organisation, it was clear we share the same vision: to build a world-class franchise that competes at the highest level, to create a strong and dynamic culture, and to root everything we do in clear and consistent values.”<\/p>\n
The Opals coach will take on the challenge of building a new franchise six weeks after being axed by New York Liberty, her departure coming less than a year after guiding the team to their first WNBA title.<\/p>\n
She had a 107-53 record in her four seasons with the Liberty, giving her the most wins in the franchise’s history.<\/p>\n
Brondello also led the Phoenix Mercury to the title in 2014 being named the WNBA’s coach of the year.<\/p>\n
Queenslander Brondello has also been head coach of the Australian women’s national team since 2017 and guided them to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. <\/p>\n
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Sandy Brondello will continue coaching the Opals who she led to bronze at the Paris Olympics. (Dave Hunt\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n
She has already agreed to lead the Opals at Los Angeles 2028, which will be her seventh Games as a player or coach.<\/p>\n
A former WNBA All-Star and three-time Olympic medallist as a player, Brondello was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.<\/p>\n
The Tempo, who are the WNBA’s first franchise outside the United States, will begin play in the 2026 season with home games at an 8,700-seat arena in the city’s downtown area. <\/p>\n
They will play two regular-season games in Montreal and two in Vancouver as the league seeks to spread its appeal in Canada.<\/p>\n
“This is a place that’s serious about doing things the right way – about excellence, about people, about community – and that\u2019s exactly the kind of environment every coach wants to be part of,” said Brondello. <\/p>\n
Portland will also join the competition, which agreed a $2 billion, 11-year broadcast deal last year, in 2026.<\/p>\n
with Reuters<\/p>\n