The WNBA declared its season late in January with the hope of getting the CBA terms in place. The meeting on February 2 was held with the utmost importance, considering the number of days left for the start of the season, but there was no conclusion from the meeting in New York, WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart opened up on the current state of WNBA-CBA negotiations, which impacts the whole league, importantly, the expansion teams like Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire.
These sides hired their coaches, unveiled the logo, training centers, and even jerseys for the home and away games. Now the waiting game starts as they look for permission from the league to work on other aspects.
Toronto Tempo Waiting For Green Signal
In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, WNBA players’ union president Nneka Ogwumike said significant work remains for the season to start on time. But also, she was confident about the start of the season on time.
On the other end, Toronto Tempo Head Coach Sandy Brondello voiced concern over the delayed WNBA 2026 schedule release as she is looking for a strategy for the team and currently has no team to work with.
* @cbcsports EXCLUSIVE*
— shireenahmed.bsky.social (@_shireenahmed_) January 21, 2026
Had a sit down chat with @TempoBasketball head coach, Sandy Brondello. We talked building a team (without players!!!) Toronto, her vision is for the franchise, and poutine versus vegemite. https://t.co/8IyGzSMXwp
“We don’t know what kind of style [we] want to play. I don’t have any players yet… I know I have a vision of how I want to play. But until that, we just work really hard and prepare the best we can and be ready when it really does happen, because it will happen quick,” Brondello said in a recent interview.
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Even though the coach is searching for players, the Toronto Tempo just received the ultimate recruiting pitch from a free agency gem. Will such cases be helpful for the side? Can the franchise go ahead with players’ aspirations to join them? No. Brondello has a road map for the team’s long-term success.
Coach Sandy Brondello On Her Plan For Toronto Tempo
Sandy Brondello’s hiring was a key decision that the franchise made to enter the league on the right note. The two-time champion coach guided many top players and has tons of experience in the league. When interviewers asked her plan for the new franchise, she opened up about her ‘success mantra’.
“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
Even though there is a delay in free agency signings or the expansion draft, the franchise can bank on Brondello’s experience and connection to fast-track this process and build a strong team for the future.