The WNBA has been on a roller coaster ride in recent weeks. Amid the ongoing CBA battle between the league and the WNBPA, more than 100 players are entering free agency and the league is also expanding its rosters. However, some decisions just seem right. As Sandy Brondello begins her next chapter with one of the newest franchises, New York Liberty star Natasha Cloud spoke candidly about the offseason moves looming around her former coach.
Speaking to journalist Madeline Kenney, Cloud didn’t hesitate to highlight two recruits who had a profound impact on her: Brondello landing in Toronto and Sonia Raman taking the head coaching role in Seattle.
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“Any time a woman gets a head coaching job or any other position where it’s a real investment in women, I’m happy,” Cloud said.
However, his strongest praise was reserved for Brondello, whose appointment as Toronto Tempo’s inaugural coach is among the franchise-defining decisions this offseason.
“Sandy is going to be a HOF coach, so she can kind of leave her mark and make her mark elsewhere,” Cloud added.
Brondello, a former WNBA All-Star, built one of the most decorated coaching careers in league history.
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Led the Phoenix Mercury to a championship in his first season as head coach in 2014
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Guided the New York Liberty to their long-awaited 2024 title.
Beyond the WNBA, Brondello has been a constant presence on the international stage, most recently leading the Australian Opals to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Tempo, set to join the WNBA as an expansion team in 2026, gives Brondello the rare opportunity to shape a franchise from the ground up. With an entirely new roster to build and an expansion draft on the horizon once the league finalizes its collective bargaining agreement, his experience and leadership will be key in defining the franchise’s identity.
On the other hand, Cloud was just as intentional in highlighting Coach Raman takes the helm of the Seattle Storm.
“Sonia started as a lawyer, she was in the NBA and is now a head coach,” the Liberty star said. “I just think his story is really special and needs to be highlighted a little more.”
Raman spent more than a decade leading the MIT women’s basketball program before joining the NBA, where she served several seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, focusing on player development, scouting and analytics. Most recently, she worked under Brondello at Liberty as an assistant coach before the Storm put her in charge.
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With this, Raman became the first person of Indian origin to serve as a head coach in the WNBA, having already become the first Indian-American woman to serve as an NBA assistant. But while those decisions set the tone for what to expect next season, the uncertainty surrounding the CBA could delay key offseason moves.
Sandy Brondello needs to be patient as new proposal could delay plans due to ABC headaches
After the WNBA and WNBPA failed to reach an agreement before the January 9 deadline, the the league proposed a moratorium. That could freeze free agency, leaving about 70% out before it can be decided which team to play for. Additionally, qualifying bids and core player designations, which are critical steps for any team, especially a franchise trying to establish itself from scratch, will be delayed.
So for Sandy Brondello, that means building her first team, defining team culture and defining Tempo’s identity will have to wait. Although the pause is temporary, the proposed moratorium is intended to avoid confusion that could arise if roster changes were made under the old CBA, only to be subject to new rules once a deal is reached.
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However, the Tempo coach is already thinking about the future.
“I firmly believe that the more connected you are off the field, it will help you because you will be able to overcome adversity,” Brondello said. “We will invest time to get there. But that’s not my culture. It’s their player-led culture.”
Kia Nurse, Bridget Carleton and Aaliyah Edwards all top the list of potential Canadian free agents who could be attracted by the chance to play closer to home.
But until a deal is finalized, Brondello must navigate a landscape of uncertainty, even as she prepares to build what could become one of the WNBA’s highest-profile franchises.
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The position Liberty Star Addresses Franchise-Altering Offseason Decisions Involving Sandy Brondello: ‘I’m Happy’ appeared first on EssentiallySport.
