- Slug: Sports-Brondello Australia, 375 words
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By ADONIS DEES
Cronkite News
PHOENIX — Sandy Brondello can add another team to her coaching resume.
The Phoenix Mercury coach played for the Opals of Australia’s professional women’s league almost two decades ago. Tuesday she was named the head coach of the team that will be building toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
“Representing Australia for 18 years was a great honor of mine and now to have the opportunity to be the head coach of the team is very special,” Brondello said.
Brondello will start with the team officially on Monday, two days before the Mercury preseason begins against the Seattle Storm. She won’t let juggling two teams slow the progress of either.
“My role with the Opals is part time and my main commitments will be in the offseason for trainings camp or tours where possible for a few weeks at a time,” she said. “I will have a group of experienced head coaches as my assistants with the Opals so I know the program will be in good hands in my absence but still under my guidance.”
The Mackay, Queensland native earned the 1992 Australian Player of the Year award for the Opals and the Australian league’s Most Valuable Player in 1995. She also played five years in the WNBA before starting her coaching career.
Her husband, Olaf Lange, served as her assistant coach in 2010 for the San Antonio Silver Stars. Brondello has been an assistant for Lange’s UMMC Ekaterinburg team in Russia for the past five years, the same that features Mercury star Brittney Griner.
“We have the utmost respect for each other as coaches and people which is why we have a great partnership both on and off the court,” Brondello said.
Brondello has a 65-37 (.637) regular-season record as Mercury coach, including a WNBA Coach of the Year award in 2014.
“The biggest factor was having the support of the Mercury organization and my family, especially my children, to undertake the role of Opals head coach,” Brondello said. “Without both of these things, I would not have taken up this opportunity.”
Training camp for the Mercury officially begins Monday. Brondello hopes to lead her team to another WNBA championship, while also guiding the Australian team to a gold medal in 2020.
