The 2026 WNBA season will welcome two new teams, and after the Golden State Valkyries’ strong debut, everyone is excited for the expansion teams. The Toronto franchise, in particular, created buzz in the league as Tempo appointed Sandy Brondello as its head coach.
The wise decision was a brave one at the same time, with the coach’s reputation for leading the superstar line-up and having backups. In her first interview as Toronto Tempo coach, Brondello highlighted her plans for the franchise.
Sandy Brondello Opened Up On Her Plan For Toronto Tempo
Entering the league on the right foot is essential for any expansion team, and Brondello is not new to the concept. She entered the league in 1998 with the Detroit Shock team and started off from scratch. The difference here, though, is that this time she will be in the driving seat, looking to lead the side, while at the Detroit side, she was a young player looking to enjoy her basketball.
There is no question that the decorated coach has a proven record with every franchise she has taken control of. But this time, she gets a clear slate and the former Mercury coach will look to paint a greener picture over it with her plan.
"Sandy is a builder. She's a teacher. She is a winner as a player and coach." -Toronto Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers on the hiring of Sandy Brondello as head coach. #WNBA @Ballislife pic.twitter.com/x0pf7gS6kg
— Aya Abdeen (@ayabdeen) November 4, 2025
“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 into doing that,” she said. “But it’s not my culture. It’s their player-led culture.”
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While Brondello mentioned that the partnership gap led to the unexpected New York Liberty exit, she will look to make her mark on the Toronto franchise with a strong season. The franchise also has a clear advantage in the season.
Sandy Brondello’s Signing Gives Toronto Tempo Advantage
The obvious reason for signing the 57-year-old coach was her experience and familiarity with the players. The coach has a reputation for forming a strong team bond among the players and hence has good relations with top stars in the league. Apparently, the 2026 free agency has multiple top and veteran players available for signing.
This could be a unique opportunity that even the recent expansion team, the Valkyries, didn’t have. They added players from the expansion draft who were role players for other teams. Now the Tempo side could directly add multiple All-Stars.
While the Portland Fire would hope for the same, Brondello’s connection gives Tempo an upper hand – even over some of the established WNBA teams. All eyes will be on the 2024 winning Liberty side, which showed support for their coach. It will be interesting to watch whether they will follow her to the Northern franchise.