Sandy Brondello was officially named the first head coach in Toronto Tempo history on Tuesday — but her journey to that job included a few intriguing turns.
After parting ways with the New York Liberty in September, following their first-round playoff exit against the Phoenix Mercury, the two-time WNBA champion suddenly became one of the league’s most sought-after free agents.
Speaking with The Athletic, Brondello shared that she had “three great possible situations” to choose from, calling the decision-making process “fun.” While she ultimately chose to help launch the new Tempo franchise in Toronto, she admitted she came close to taking a very different path — one that could have seen her coaching Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings.
Brondello revealed that both the Wings and the Seattle Storm reached out as they searched for new leadership. With 269 regular-season wins — the second-most among active WNBA coaches — she weighed the appeal of joining a title-ready Storm team against the excitement of mentoring Bueckers, the 2025 Rookie of the Year.
“In Seattle, I probably could have had a chance to win straight away. In Dallas, there’s Paige Bueckers,” Brondello told The Athletic. “But I just felt like building something from the ground up, doing something new, and doing it in a different country. Ultimately, it comes back to the people — the vision Monica and team president Teresa Resch had. They sold me on that.”
The Storm eventually hired Brondello’s former Liberty assistant Sonia Raman, while Dallas turned to longtime USF head coach Jose Fernandez, who arrived with Geno Auriemma’s endorsement.
Only time will tell whether Brondello can build the contender she envisions in Toronto — but fans can’t help but wonder what might have been if she’d teamed up with Bueckers in Dallas.