What’s next for Sandy Brondello after Liberty exit?

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When Sandy Brondello fronts up for her next head coaching interview, she only needs to table the announcement the New York Liberty released when they decided not to renew the two-time WNBA championship coach's contract for 2026.

"Sandy finishes her tenure in New York as the winningest coach in franchise history, and she took us to never-before-seen heights as the first head coach to lead the Liberty to a championship," the Liberty said.

Brondello, 57, is the Australian Opals coach until the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles when the national team has a legitimate shot at reaching the gold medal game against the always-expected United States.

In the meantime, there are three head coaching roles available in the WNBA in 2026:

• Seattle Storm — didn't renew Noelle Quinn's contract for 2026.
• Toronto Tempo — first team outside the U.S.; set to start in 2026
• Portland Fire — also starts in 2026.

The Tempo and Fire will the league's 14th and 15th teams after the Golden State Valkyries launched in 2025.

Brondello has a 271-181 (.600) win-loss record over her more than a decade coaching career in the WNBA including championships in 2014 with the Phoenix Mercury and the Liberty in 2024. She was the coach of the year in 2014.

All three vacancies are viable options for Brondello and the franchises. The expansion draft for Toronto and Portland will more than likely happen in November or December this year as it did for the Valkyries in November 2024.

Seattle Storm

Head coach Noelle Quinn is out after four seasons, eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Las Vegas Aces. It has cast doubt on Australian Opals centre Ezi Magbegor's future in Washington State with the emergence of French superstar Dominique Malonga.

The Storm's 2025 season was disruptive but they still managed to make the playoffs and finished above .500.

Brondello is a player's coach and knows how to build a winning culture. Seattle — on the opposite side of the US — might be an ideal landing spot.

• 2025 was their 26th season as a franchise.
• It was their 4th full season under head coach Noelle Quinn.
• They played a 44-game regular season.

Record & Standings

• Their regular season record was 23 wins, 21 losses.
• They finished 4th in the Western Conference.

Style & Stats

• Offensively they scored about 82.1 points per game.
• Defensively, they allowed about 80.1 points per game.
• Their defensive rating was among the better ones in the league; they ranked 3rd in defensive rating.
• Pace was high: they played up tempo; their pace ranked 3rd in the league.

Key Players & Performances

• Nneka Ogwumike was a standout. She led in scoring (18.3 PPG), rebounding (~7.0 per game), and also won the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award — her 4th time.
• Skylar Diggins had strong playmaking numbers, among the leaders in assists.
• Dominique Malonga was recognised on the AP All-Rookie Team.

Challenges / Changes

• They had some roster shakeups:
  • Katie Lou Samuelson missed the entire season due to a torn ACL.
  • Jewell Loyd requested a trade in the offseason.
• There was also an investigation by the ownership into allegations of player mistreatment by the coaching staff. The outcome said no violations were found.

Postseason

• Made the playoffs but were eliminated in Round One. They lost their first round series to the Las Vegas Aces, 2 games to 1.

Summary / Takeaways

• Seattle was respectable — above .500, solid defense, had strong individual performances.
• But injuries, roster turnover, and maybe lack of depth showed up — they weren’t able to push past the first round.
• They’ve got some promising young pieces (like Malonga) and veteran leadership (Ogwumike, Diggins) to build around.

Toronto Tempo

Basic Facts

• Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• First WNBA team located outside the United States.
• Will play home games at Coca-Cola Coliseum (capacity about 8,500) in Toronto.

Ownership & Leadership

• Owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, led by Larry Tanenbaum.
• Also has co-owners: Serena Williams, Lilly Singh, and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.
• President: Teresa Resch.
• General Manager: Monica Wright Rogers.

Branding & Identity

• Name: Toronto Tempo. Unveiled in December 2024.
• Colours: Bordeaux, hydrogen blue, black, white.
• The name “Tempo” chosen through public engagement; the idea is to reflect rhythm, pace, energy of Toronto and basketball.

Other Key Facts / Plans

• Expansion franchise was awarded in May 2024.
• Expansion fee about USD $50 million.
• Will join the WNBA in 2026.
• Founding partners and sponsors are lined up (e.g. Sephora, CIBC) and early front office hires are in place (including assistant GM etc.).
• The Tempo will also play two regular-season games in Vancouver during the 2026 season, expanding outreach in Canada.

Portland Fire

Basic Facts

• Located in Portland, Oregon.
• Will play in the Western Conference.
• Home arena: Moda Center.

Ownership & Leadership

• Owned by RAJ Sports, which also owns the Portland Thorns (soccer, NWSL). Owners: Lisa Bhathal Merage (controlling owner & WNBA Governor) and her brother Alex Bhathal.
• General Manager: Vanja Černivec, appointed August 2025 (previously with Golden State Valkyries).
• President: Clare Hamill (interim).

Branding & Identity

• Reviving the name Portland Fire, which was used by an earlier WNBA team in Portland from 2000–2002.
• Officially announced as “Fire. Reborn.” in July 2025.
• Colour palette includes red, brown, blue, pink.
• The branding draws on local symbolism (e.g. “Rose on Fire” icon, referencing the city’s “Rose City” nickname; Mount Hood silhouette in the logo).

Other Key Facts / Plans

• Awarded franchise Sept 18, 2024; the franchise fee reportedly USD $125 million.
• Will begin play in the 2026 season.
• A dedicated, multi-sport training facility is planned (shared with the Thorns), in Hillsboro; the facility is being built with sections for both teams.
• They have seen strong fan interest already: over 10,000 season ticket deposits soon after launch.