The Toronto Tempo are officially here, and Sandy Brondello\u2019s first-ever training camp in Canada has a lot of energy.<\/p>\n
Published Apr 27, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n The Toronto Tempo officially is here and Sandy Brondello\u2019s first-ever training camp in Canada has a lot of energy.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Brondello comes at coaching with years of multi-faceted experience: The Aussie spent more than a decade as a player before becoming a coach almost immediately, bringing her championship-playing pedigree \u2014 which included stints in the Olympics and for the Australian national Team \u2014 to the New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks and Phoenix Mercury before becoming Toronto\u2019s head coach.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n In terms of what it means to be a member of the Toronto Tempo, Brondello brings in a set of clearly defined non-negotiables.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be a good teammate \u2014 how you come every day, the energy that you bring,\u201d she said. \u201cWe have to have a growth mindset in everything that we do as an expansion team. We have to have competitive excellence.<\/p>\n We apologize, but this video has failed to load.<\/p>\n Play Video<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not just about the wins and losses. It\u2019s about, how do we come ready to be better every single day? You know, they\u2019re things that you can control, but most importantly, for me, is that togetherness.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone has to be on the same page, where it\u2019s not five individual players, it\u2019s one team. We are one team, and we all have to own our roles, whatever that role will be.\u201d<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n What is Brondello\u2019s coaching style?<\/p>\n Brondello also brings a culture of collaboration to Toronto, one she says is strengthened by a coaching and management group that\u2019s full of former players. She has been vocal about collaborating to create the Tempo\u2019s inaugural roster, but also wants that spirit to be true in her relationships with her players.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not a dictator. I played pro for 18 years and, you know, I suppose we were great, but it\u2019s more that there\u2019s a system in place,\u201d she said. \u201cWe do have non-negotiables, no one\u2019s a free for all. We have our principles of play that they have to live by, but still understanding who am I, who am I playing with, and who\u2019s guarding me? They\u2019re the most important things.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m always talking to the players, because once they get in the game, if they see something, you know, my ego\u2019s not that big. I\u2019m like, \u2018Yeah, do it! Go for it. Run with it.\u2019 I\u2019ve done this for a long time. I think I know what I\u2019m doing, but I learn as much from the players as well, and I lean into their experience, and I think it just adds layers to what our potential can be.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Isabelle Harrison signed with the Tempo on April 12, but it\u2019s not her first rodeo with Brondello. The pair were both members of the New York Liberty organization last year, so she\u2019s no stranger to Brondello\u2019s coaching methods.<\/p>\n \u201cSandy\u2019s a player\u2019s coach and you can have a conversation with her. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve always appreciated about Sandy,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cSandy used to practice with us. Sometimes she used to go on the court with us, and that\u2019s like one of my favourite memories of her when I got into the W(NBA), so just a really smart coach, someone that wants everybody to show their best, and she just is a really encouraging coach, and that\u2019s hard to come by sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n What is Brondello\u2019s background?<\/p>\n She also comes with a long, impressive resume. Brondello is one of Australia\u2019s best shooting guards of all time and her .410 three-point percentage ranks fourth on the WNBA\u2019s all-time record list. She has won three Olympic medals and four World Championships as a player and another Olympic medal as a coach. She led the New York Liberty to the WNBA finals and her Olympic coaching tenure will continue through the 2028 Games.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n For Temi F\u00e1gb\u00e9nl\u00e9, who signed with the Tempo on April 14, having a coach and general manager who both played basketball makes a big difference in an organization.<\/p>\n \u201cJust as a player, you have a different understanding of the game and a different understanding of what\u2019s important within a team to achieve success,\u201d she said. \u201cI assumed that they thought similarly to how I thought, and I think I was right.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More<\/p>\n Toronto Tempo made smart move signing Canadian star Kia Nurse<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/0428-sandy-brondello-toronto-tempo-coach.jpg\")
New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello talks to the team before the WNBA All-Star basketball game in 2025. AP PhotoArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/21.0.2\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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