The 2026 season will also have a few new faces in the league. Apart from the draft entrants, the Wings brought in a new HC in the league, while the league itself will welcome two new franchises.
One person who saw all this for more than three decades in the league is Sandy Brondello. From the early seasons in the league, she witnessed the current Caitlin Clark effect that elevated the league to the next level.
After taking over the HC position at the Toronto Tempo, Brondello revealed the ultimate vision for a new era. While she discussed the new era during her introductory press conference, in Sue Bird’s podcast, she spoke about the top players of the current generation, whom she felt were particularly difficult to defend.
Sandy Brondello Talks About Defending Caitlin Clark
Talking about the difficult players to defend, the Toronto Tempo’s new HC lauded A’ja Wilson and mentioned that the opposition needs to have as many defenders on her to defend, and yet they hope for her ‘bad night’. The 58-year-old coach also talked about the Fever superstar as a player who is hard to defend.
“I think Caitlin Clark is really hard to guard when she’s healthy,” Brondello said. “Just her ability. She gave us a lot of handful this year, and she can shoot it from way out, but she can pass it. And I think she has been a tough one.”
Players difficult to coach against
— drafts (@drafts95452567) November 7, 2025
Sandy Brondello: A'ja and Caitlin
“I think Caitlin Clark is really hard to guard, when she's healthy, just her ability. She gave us a lot of handful this year. She can shoot it from way out, she can pass it. I think she's been a tough one.” pic.twitter.com/oXu15g6HdF
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While the 2024 Rookie of the Year winner played in only 13 games, most of them were memorable with her offensive flair. In the opening game, she recorded a triple-double, while against the Liberty side, she exploded with 30+ points to put the Fever team in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
While both players are very talented and offensively ‘hard to defend’ (in Brondello’s words), many young players look up to these stars and learn from them. The Fever guard recently shared a piece of advice with young players that gave them insight into her basketball journey.
Caitlin Clark’s Advice To Young Hoopers
The former Iowa guard is just 23, but has already made her mark in the WNBA and women’s basketball in all. So it’s obvious that everyone wants to know her approach towards the game.
Recently, she made an appearance at a luncheon of the Long Island Association. As she was addressing the crowd, the host asked Clark for advice she wanted to give to the budding athletes.
“Just enjoy it. It goes so fast. I’m only 23 but I feel I was just in high school. Some of my best memories are from playing sports from when I was in middle school and high school,” Clark said, per an article from Barbara Barker of Newsday.
📸/✍️: Caitlin's appearance at the LIA Annual Fall Luncheon!
— offszn caitlin clark source (@CLRKSOURCE) October 29, 2025
more: https://t.co/GaDdZyUvss pic.twitter.com/SBmdBdiqqm
While the player enjoys the game, she is highly competitive and regularly works on improving her skills. In the ongoing offseason, Clark opted out of the Unrivaled and is looking to get back to full fitness for the upcoming seasons. As Brondello mentioned, ‘healthy CC’ is hard to guard, and every Fever fan would love to watch that.