New York Liberty Name Sandy Brondello as Head Coach


NEW YORK – JANUARY 7, 2022 – The New York Liberty have named former WNBA player and coaching veteran Sandy Brondello as the franchise’s new head coach. Brondello is the ninth head coach in the organization’s 26-year history.

Brondello has seventeen years of WNBA coaching experience as an assistant and head coach. Prior to joining the Liberty, she served as head coach of the Phoenix Mercury for eight seasons, where she led the franchise to a WNBA Championship in 2014, two Finals appearances, and playoff appearances in each of her eight seasons. The 2014 WNBA Championship earned her Coach of the Year Award. Prior to her head coaching role at the Phoenix Mercury, Brondello served as head coach of the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2010 after serving as assistant coach of the team since 2005.

A 2010 inductee into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame, Brondello was named the head coach of the Australian Women’s National Basketball team in 2017, where she has coached current Liberty guards Rebecca Allen and Sami Whitcomb.

“Sandy brings a wealth of coaching experience and is a proven winner with a championship pedigree, both as a player and coach in the WNBA and internationally,” said Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb. “Throughout her longstanding professional coaching career, she has demonstrated her ability to build consistent and sustained success as a skilled leader and mentor on and off the court. We are thrilled to welcome her to New York as we move forward in our pursuit of winning a WNBA Championship.”

“We are excited to have Sandy join us,” said Liberty owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai. “We ran a thorough search process for the next head coach, and when we met with Sandy in New York, we knew she would bring not only her wealth of experience but also her passion for elevating our star players and developing our young core. We have no doubt Sandy will be that strong voice to set the culture for the New York Liberty to compete at the highest level.”

Compiling an overall regular season record of 164-128 (.562) in nine seasons as a head coach, Brondello ranks as the 10th winningest head coach in WNBA history. Additionally, Brondello compiled a 24-19 postseason record at the helm of the Mercury, ranking her as the winningest coach in the team’s history in the postseason.

“It is an honor to join the historic New York Liberty franchise and to coach and lead such a talented roster of players,” said Brondello. “I owe immense gratitude to the team’s ownership and front office for entrusting me with this important role during such an integral time in the history of the organization. Alongside my family, I’m excited to move to New York City and begin preparations for our upcoming season.”

Brondello, the WNBA’s 2014 Coach of the Year, played 17 years of professional basketball, including five seasons in the WNBA from 1998 to 2003. Selected in the fourth round (34th overall) of the 1998 WNBA Draft by the Detroit Shock, Brondello became an All-Star in the first WNBA All-Star Game in 1999. She averaged 11.4 points on 41.4% shooting (41.0% 3-PT), 1.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 29.6 minutes in 155 career games with the Detroit Shock, Miami Sol, and Seattle Storm.

The Mackay, Australia native also represented Australia in international competition for 17 years. Throughout her playing career with the Opals, she earned two bronze medals at four World Championships, and two silver medals and a bronze at four Olympic tournaments.