Sandy Brondello’s first season with the Toronto Tempo ended with an 11-33 record, but attention has quickly shifted to a major milestone in its head coach’s career. Brondello is set to receive one of Australia’s highest sporting honors, and Toronto wasted no time celebrating.

The Tempo took to X to congratulate their coach on her induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, recognizing a career spanning more than four decades as both a player and a coach.

“A big congratulations to Tempo Head Coach Sandy Brondello on being inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, joining an honour roll of the nation’s most accomplished sporting figures,” the franchise wrote.

Sandy Brondello will be formally inducted at a ceremony in Melbourne on November 24, alongside tennis star Dylan Alcott and other distinguished Australian sporting figures. The 58-year-old also shared her excitement on Instagram Stories, writing, “Honoured and humbled.”

Brondello represented Australia 302 times across four Olympics. Her playing career with the Opals included three Olympic medals: bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games, silver in Sydney in 2000, and silver in Athens in 2004. Then, in the WNBA, she also earned an All-Star selection in 1999 after joining the Detroit Shock in 1998, before she retired in 2004.

But rather than stepping away from the game, she transitioned into coaching and guided the Phoenix Mercury to a WNBA championship in 2014 before leading the New York Liberty to the title in 2024. She also coached Australia’s national team to bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“This is the biggest honour of my career. I’ve been fortunate to experience some incredible moments in basketball, but to be recognized by the Australian sporting community, alongside athletes I admire, is something I never imagined,” she said in a statement released by the Tempo, as per Sportsnet.ca.

“I’m so proud to be Australian, and so grateful to my family and everyone who has been a part of this journey with me.”

So while the Hall of Fame honor celebrates Brondello’s remarkable career, her focus will soon return to the challenge ahead with Toronto. After a difficult inaugural season, the Tempo have plenty of work to do, and Brondello will play a key role in shaping the expansion franchise’s future.

Sandy Brondello Has Problems to Fix With Toronto Tempo

This season, the Tempo’s biggest weakness was defense. They averaged 85.7 points per game, ranking 10th among 15 WNBA teams, but allowed a league-worst 94.4 points per contest. Their defensive rating of 118.4 also ranked last, so it was difficult for them to consistently contain opponents.

Rebounding was another concern. Toronto ranked last in the league with a 47% rebounding rate before August, prompting the franchise to acquire Aneesah Morrow from the Connecticut Sun on July 31. Morrow was averaging 11.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game at the time, which gave the Tempo a young forward who could help address that weakness.

But not everything was bad, as the team also showed some encouraging signs. Rookie Kiki Rice, the sixth overall pick in the 2026 draft, averaged 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 28 games. She also earned a spot on the WNBA All-Rookie Team, giving Toronto a promising young player to build around. Veterans Marina Mabrey and Brittney Sykes provided additional backcourt experience, but the team still needs greater consistency across its roster.

Their defensive problems led to a 0-8 record in their final eight games, ending their season on a sad note.

Sandy Brondello has already won WNBA championships with Phoenix and New York. Now, she must apply that experience to a rebuilding expansion franchise. Improving the defense, securing more rebounds, and developing the young core will be crucial if Toronto hopes to make meaningful progress in its second season.