Brondello named first head coach of Toronto Tempo WNBA expansion team

Sandy Brondello was named Tuesday as the first head coach of the WNBA’s Toronto Tempo, the expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026 as the league’s first team based outside the United States. Brondello, who led the New York Liberty to the 2024 WNBA championship, was introduced in Toronto after the Liberty did not renew her contract following a first-round playoff exit this past season.

Brondello said she had multiple options but chose Toronto because she was drawn to the chance to build a team from the ground up and by the alignment she felt with the organization’s leadership. "I had a few options to go elsewhere, but in the end I was really intrigued about starting from the very beginning and building something with really good people and in a different country," she said. She also highlighted the partnership with general manager Monica Wright Rogers as a factor in her decision.

Brondello’s appointment gives the Tempo an experienced coach with a record of success in the league. She guided the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA title in 2014 and led the Liberty to the 2024 championship; during her four seasons in New York she compiled a 107-53 record and earned the most wins in...