The expansion teams are eager to get on the board by building their rosters through the expansion draft and free agency. But WNBA & WNBPA reach agreement on free agency moratorium, suspending qualifying offers until new CBA.
Though this extends the expansion draft schedules as well, the Toronto Tempo made additions to its coaching staff. The side made headlines by appointing Sandy Brondello as head coach and now provides a potent supporting staff with two new hires.
Toronto Tempo Adds Ciara Carl And Brian Lankton
The Toronto Tempo expressed a desire to make a mark in its inaugural season and took many bold decisions. The side went with a championship-experienced coach; they now selected the assistants with a similar drive and experience in the league.
According to the franchise’s latest update, the Toronto Tempo hired Ciara Carl and Brian Lankton as assistant coaches for its inaugural season. Both will report to Brondello, with Lankton having experience working with the 57-year-old coach.
Our bench just got twice as strong.
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) January 14, 2026
We’re proud to welcome Ciara Carl and Brian Lankton as Assistant Coaches, joining Head Coach Sandy Brondello’s staff.
Welcome to the Tempo. 🤝
Presented by SEPHORA Canada pic.twitter.com/bVmy9TfKIS
Carl and Lankton each bring over a decade of experience across the NBA, G-League, WNBA, and NCAA. Carl joins the Tempo from the Phoenix Mercury, where she served as an assistant coach and head video coordinator since 2023. Lankton most recently served as the head video coordinator and player development coach for the New York Liberty from 2023 to 2025.
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The duo will take part in the team preparation, performance, and development. The addition of two assistant coaches will certainly help Sandy Brondello to focus on her plan for the future of the expansion team. The former Liberty coach explained her vision for the team.
Sandy Brondello Reveals Plans For Toronto Tempo
The champion coach entered the franchise with high expectations. Brondello also revealed what motivated her to take the head coach position at the Tempo team and immediately laid out her plan for the team’s future.
“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.”
"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
The coach found success and kept her team on top with her mantra: keep players upfront and focus on chemistry.