Sandy Brondello gets a roaring ovation in her Liberty return with Toronto Tempo

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The team played a tribute video midway through the first quarter for Brondello as well as husband Olaf Lange, who was her assistant in New York and Toronto, Isabelle Harrison and Nyara Sabally.

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The crowd gave them all a standing ovation when the video was done.

“The fans here have been amazing there. They’ve always been amazing,” Brondello said. “It’s a special group here. And, you know, something that we’ll remember.”

Brondello finished 107-53 in the regular season during her four years leading the franchise after arriving in 2022. The 107 victories is the most in Liberty history. But a first-round exit in the playoffs last season led to general manager Jonathan Kolb making a change.

“One door closes, another one opens,” Brondello said. “I’ve enjoyed it here, but I’m embracing my new role too tonight. Maybe a little bit different, I don’t know. I don’t know who loves me and who hates me. So we’ll see.”

This isn’t the first time that Brondello has come back to coach against a former team she helped lead to a title. She won a championship in Phoenix in 2014 — her first year with the team. That wasn’t the franchise’s first title. She was let go by the organization in 2021 before coming to New York.

Now she has a new challenge with Toronto as the first franchise outside of the U.S. has gotten off to a solid start and has the same 5-4 record as the Liberty.

Brondello isn’t the only former franchise member returning Wednesday night as her husband Olaf Lange, who was an assistant on the Liberty has the same role with the Tempo.

Nyara Sabally was chosen in the expansion draft by the Tempo and she was instrumental in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in 2024.

“I have obviously really good memories here in this gym with the fans,” Sabally said. “I mean, they’ve they’ve always been so amazing. So, it’s going to be just a nice welcoming moment.”

Sabally hung out with sister Satou, who plays for New York now, when she got to town.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Doug Feinberg, The Associated Press