21
Oct
Hall of Fame
'Honoured and humbled' Brondello to become Hall of Famer
Australia's coach Sandy Brondello (L) celebrates with Australia's #13 Ezi Magbegor after Australia won the women's preliminary round group B basketball match between Australia and France during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on August 4, 2024. Photo: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via Getty Images
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The legendary coach and former player will join the Sporting Australia Hall of Fame in November
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Australian Opals legend and current Toronto Tempo WNBA coach Sandy Brondello is set to be inducted into the Sporting Australia Hall of Fame after a decorated career stretching across more than four decades.
Brondello will be inducted at a ceremony in Melbourne on November 24, alongside two-time Paralympic medallist with the Australian Rollers in Dylan Alcott, where the pair will join a list of legends, such as Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman in the Hall of Fame.
The 58-year-old posted her excitement about the news on her Instagram page.
"Honoured and humbled," Brondello wrote.
The honour for Brondello is the latest achievement in a career both as a player and coach, which has been full of accolades.
From five Olympic and World Championship medals with the Opals as a player, to three as a head coach, headlined by the bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and leading the national team out of dark times following controversy leading into the 2020 Tokyo Games.
The Mackay product was a WNBL MVP in 1995 with the Brisbane Blazers before a WNBA career with Detroit, where she became an All-Star in 1999, as well as stints with Miami and Seattle before winning two championships as a head coach with the Phoenix Mercury (2014) and the New York Liberty (2024).
Opals and WNBA legend Penny Taylor, who played under Brondello in the 2014 WNBA championship, recently spoke about her connection and admiration for her former coach on an episode of the Cut to the Jase podcast.
"She's just unbelievable, I'm honestly in awe of her," Taylor said on the basketball.com.au podcast.
"I was as a player because she was one of the veterans that I looked up to.
"She conquered Europe before anyone even knew Europe was a thing... She was the only female that had that pull-up, she was the only one that could stop on a dime and pull up.
"She was with the world-class standard of the pull-up before that was a thing in women's basketball.
"As she was my veteran in the 2004 Olympics, then she stepped into the coaching role, and I cannot tell you how emotional it is to have a friend become your coach.
"I just felt so much pride in playing for her and wanting to do the best for her because you knew she's a player's coach. She's on your side and she knows how it feels to be out there.
"But not only that, she's a great coach. She is experienced, she knows her stuff, she has answers.
"As a player, when you're looking for answers, Sandy has them, and so I can't say enough about how my journey as Sandy's friend has been such a proud one."
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