The Toronto Tempo are set to debut in the WNBA in 2026 as one of two new expansion franchises, alongside the Portland Fire. In a video shared by the team, Tempo head coach Sandy Brondello highlighted three games she is most looking forward to, including a matchup against Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever.
Sandy Brondello Celebrates Caitlin Clark While Anticipating Tempo vs. Fever Showdown
Brondello, who was dismissed by the New York Liberty following the 2025 season, was named the Tempo’s first-ever head coach.
When listing the three games she is most excited about this season, she pointed to two teams she previously coached, along with Clark’s Fever.
“I have Indiana because everyone loves to play against Caitlin Clark, and I think they’ve got such a big following in this league, too,” Brondello said. “So, you know, our players go into a very loud arena. I think that will be fun.”
The Tempo and Fever will meet three times during the regular season. Their first matchup will be a Commissioner’s Cup contest at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 16, followed by two games in Toronto on Aug. 18 at Scotiabank Arena and Sept. 18 at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Clark remains one of the WNBA’s biggest attractions, but after a stellar rookie season, she experienced a more subdued sophomore campaign. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds across 13 games in her second WNBA season, as injuries slowed her momentum.
Across her first two seasons, Clark has posted a 2-4 record against Brondello.
Brondello also cited matchups against the Phoenix Mercury and the Liberty as games she is eager to coach.
“No. 1, Phoenix, for obvious reasons. That is my off-season base. My children will be there. All my friends are there. I coach there. I won a championship there for eight years. So that’s always a fun city to visit and play a basketball game,” she said.
Brondello enjoyed a highly successful stint with the Mercury, guiding the team to a WNBA title in 2014 and becoming the first former player to win a championship as a head coach. She coached Phoenix from 2014 to 2021 and finished as the winningest coach in franchise history.
“New York — that was where I coached before I came to Tempo,” Brondello continued. “And just to obviously see the fans again, it’s really a great arena to play in and see the former players that I coached there. Ah, that will be special.”
Brondello delivered New York’s first championship in franchise history in 2024, but following a disappointing 2025 season, the organization chose to move on from her.
