The expansion teams are no longer pushovers in the WNBA, as the Golden State Valkyries demonstrated their mettle in the 2025 season. The Toronto Tempo is also entering the league with similar aspirations and has already made a significant coup in the league as the Tempo announced the signing of Sandy Brondello as its first head coach.
While Brondello is a well-respected name in WNBA circles, the franchise may well reap different benefits from her association with the team.
Sandy Brondello To Hand Toronto Tempo a Major Advantage In Free Agency
The Toronto side wanted to make an immediate impact on the league, and the signing of Brondello has certainly grabbed everyone’s attention. While it’s a bold move to have a championship experience coach for an expansion team, it’s also a strategic step towards attracting top talent.
Brondello should be able to quickly establish a cohesive system and get her players to buy in. Additionally, a former Liberty coach would likely attract some impactful free agents and give the Tempo an unusual edge for an expansion team.
The New York Liberty players would be easy targets for Brondello. Many players showed their support for the veteran coach. Breanna Stewart fiercely defended Sandy Brondello after the New York Liberty’s playoff exit. However, it doesn’t mean that the megastar would join the new project; yet, Brondello would be able to attract an All-Star caliber player to build a team around.
Sandy Brondello makes perfect sense as the first head coach of the Toronto Tempo pic.twitter.com/VNCaaSkBo7
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 24, 2025
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Moreover, the 2026 stacked WNBA draft will give her an impactful rookie to secure the franchise’s future. Having a coach with 10+ years of experience in the league would impact decision-making and also help build a strong culture within the team.
Sandy Brondello’s Resume Makes Her Perfect Fit For Toronto Tempo
Even though the New York Liberty GM provided reasons for Brondello’s firing, the 57-year-old coach remains one of the top names in the league, with the most wins records set for two different franchises. The Liberty franchise also showed faith in her, given her record with the Mercury team.
The 2014 Coach of the Year winner has never missed the playoffs since 2010 and has sent her team to the semi-finals or higher on nine occasions in the 13 postseason appearances.
While Toronto will be looking for similar performance from the decorated HC, they must provide her with a potent squad to play with.