After days of speculation, the Toronto Tempo unveiled Sandy Brondello as its first head coach. It was one of the smartest moves by any franchise, recognizing the importance of having the right coach in the right place. Many speculations suggested that Wings are the frontrunners for Brondello’s appointment, as well as the Storm side was looking to sign the experienced coach after she departed from Liberty.
While the Seattle Storm appointed Sonia Raman as its HC, and the Wings signed Jose Ferenandez, as per reports from FOS, both sides approached Brondello, who turned down their offer.
Sandy Brondello Chose Toronto Tempo Over Seattle Storm And Dallas Wings
After exiting the 2025 WNBA playoffs, the New York Liberty parted ways with Sandy Brondello. The decision that shocked many was an opportunity for the other franchises in the league. Two other teams and two expansion teams were without a head coach, and the 57-year-old was the perfect choice for them.
As per a report from Front Office Sports, the Wings and the Storm made offers to Brondello, with one of those teams offering more money than the expansion team. But the experienced coach sees a new team over them and still earns $1 million in salary.
EXCLUSIVE: Sandy Brondello turned down more money to coach the expansion Toronto Tempo, sources tell FOS.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 4, 2025
Still, the two-time WNBA Finals-winning coach will make at least $1M in Toronto after rejecting offers from the Dallas Wings and Seattle Storm.https://t.co/aBO0Kpks5F
“This is the place I wanted to be. To build a team from the ground up, that really excited me. There’s a lot of alignment, but in the end, it was about the partnership. I knew of [Tempo general manager] Monica [Wright Rogers], just the person she is, and how she goes about her day-to-day… that was the partnership, the collaboration. It just felt right,” Brondello said in her introductory press conference.
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While the coach left the press conference, Brondello attended the Raptors’ game at Scotia Bank Arena, quickly starting with the relationship-building work. The coach gave the same formula for the team’s success as she spoke about her plans for the side.
Sandy Brondello Talks About Her Vision For Toronto Franchise
Leading a new team with no players on the roster might look challenging, but Brondello loved the ‘newness’. So when she answered questions about her vision for the team, it was always a championship, but initially, she wanted to build a culture.
“I’m a firm believer that the more connected you are off the court, that’s going to help on it because you can overcome adversity. We’ll invest time in doing that. But it’s not my culture. It’s their player-led culture,” Brondello told reporters.
Sandy Brondello, the Toronto Tempo's first head coach, opens her press conference saying, "This is the place I wanted to be." pic.twitter.com/2bjOLdMxZM
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) November 4, 2025
Brondello finished her tenures at the Mercury and Liberty sides as the most successful coach in both franchises’ history. She even won a title with each franchise with a similar approach. Now, Toronto’s W team will be ready for the new era under Brondello.