Tempo ready to hit ground running with Brondello aboard

Sandy Brondello had no shortage of options once the New York Liberty opted not to renew her contract following the 2025 campaign.

The two-time WNBA champion head coach could have led the Seattle Storm in an immediate title push or coached the Dallas Wings and ascending star Paige Bueckers.

But after four weeks in free agency weighing her options, the 2014 WNBA Coach of the Year chose the expansion Toronto Tempo as her next step.

What appealed to Brondello most was the franchise's blank canvas as well as the opportunity to help shape the organization from its inception.

The coach noted that she already knew Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers through a mutual friend, Jenny Boucek, an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, and already appreciates her day-to-day approach.

Brondello also praised team owner Larry Tanenbaum for his dedication to developing the new WNBA franchise.

"This is the place I wanted to be," Brondello told reporters Tuesday, including theScore, at her introductory press conference. "The moment I first spoke with Monica ... and met (president) Teresa (Resch) and Larry, I was just sold on the vision that they had for this franchise. To be known to … build a team from the ground up, that really excited me."

Wright Rogers began searching for the club's inaugural head coach in mid-July. She said she was looking for someone who could attract free agents and was familiar with the league inside and out.

The Tempo executive was finalizing her short list of candidates when Brondello shockingly became available, just days after the Liberty's first-round playoff exit to the Phoenix Mercury.

"We were able to have a crack at one of the best coaches in WNBA history," Wright Rogers said. "I took a swing and definitely knew that there would be other teams. Obviously, you'd be unwise not to try to land her.

"With the ownership group that we have, with the leadership group that we have, we just put our best foot forward, and we were ourselves. I think being ourselves ... aligned with Sandy's core values, and we just made a perfect fit."

Toronto's hiring of Brondello signals its intention to compete from Day 1.

The Golden State Valkyries redefined success for an expansion team last season by becoming the first WNBA club to secure a playoff berth in its maiden campaign.

Brondello registered just one losing record in the last six seasons and has never missed the postseason in her 13-year coaching career.

When Wright Rogers took the Tempo's GM job in February, she vocalized her desire to be active in next year's stacked free-agency class.

Over 100 WNBA players - including 19 of the 25 All-Stars from the previous season - will hit the market. With the CBA expiring and the possibility of higher salaries on the horizon, most players avoided signing contracts beyond the 2025 campaign.

Brondello seems confident that her esteemed reputation and the chance to leave a lasting impact will give Toronto a compelling pitch in free-agent negotiations.

"I think they've got opportunities here to do something special, which hasn't been done before," Brondello said. "We're a Canadian team, and I keep going back to that, but it really is so important. That excites me because we're growing the game in a whole different country.

"I can't wait when we have the opportunity to talk to players because I think we can sell them on the idea of not just about what we're gonna do on the court but what things they can do off the court knowing they've got the whole country, who'll be celebrating them."

Brondello stressed that talent is only part of the championship formula. Known for fostering player-led cultures, the 57-year-old values high character and building cohesion through collaboration.

While Brondello pushes her players, she's equally invested in getting to know them off the court. Having also played five WNBA seasons, the Australian can relate to players more than most of her peers.

Brondello emphasized that she wants her players to feel supported and comfortable being their authentic selves around each other, adding she's hopeful the off-court connection will strengthen the Tempo's on-court resilience and teamwork when adversity inevitably strikes.

"It's not my culture. It's not Monica's culture. ... It's the players' culture," Brondello said. "What kind of legacy do they want to leave behind? What other values do we want to live by?

"Because once we have that culture in play, it allows us to have accountability and support and make sure that we're growing this franchise in the right way."

Using that formula, Brondello quickly found success at each of her previous head coaching stops. She captured a title in her first season with the Phoenix Mercury and then snapped the Liberty's 28-year championship drought within three years of joining the organization.

It's hard to predict how good Toronto will be without knowing who's on the team, but one of Brondello's greatest strengths is adjusting her style to the roster's skill set.

The WNBA expansion draft and free agency won't take place until a new CBA is agreed upon by the league and players' union.

In the meantime, Brondello's excited for the challenge ahead and is eager to leave her fingerprints on the next chapter of women's basketball in Canada.

"The goal is to bring a championship to Toronto," Brondello said. "That hasn't changed. My narrative hasn't changed. I like winning. It's fun, but I also know it's hard.

"We'll go to work about starting from the ground up, building the right culture and adding the right players and making sure that we continue to work together so we can put the best product out on the floor."