The former assistant coach of the New York Liberty, Olaf Lange, has been appointed as the new coach of the German women’s basketball team.
Lange, born in Berlin, will lead the team in the World Cup that Germany will host next year. Previously, he held this same position between 2001 and 2003.
At 53 years old, Lange will meet with Liberty players Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally during the tournament. Germany also has Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally on its team.
The German team will first participate in the qualifying phase for the FIBA World Cup next March in France.
Lange could face his wife, Sandy Brondello, who is the coach of the Australian national team. Lange was part of her coaching staff in the Opals since 2019 and in the Liberty since she took over in 2022. Brondello’s contract was not renewed by New York last month after the team lost in the first round of the playoffs.
In addition, Lange was the coach of the Russian national team from 2017 to 2019. He replaces Lisa Thomaidis, who coached Germany in the Paris Olympics. The German team reached the quarterfinals last year at the Olympic Games.
