Olaf Lange Takes Over as Head Coach of the German Women’s Basketball Team
Former New York Liberty assistant coach Olaf Lange has been named the new coach of the German women’s basketball team.
Lange, originally from 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 reunite with Liberty players Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally during the tournament. Germany also has Phoenix Mercury star Satou Sabally in its squad.
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 with 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 led Germany in the Paris Olympics. The German team reached the quarterfinals last year at the Olympic Games.
