WNBA Coaching Carousel: Analyzing the Key Decisions
After the 2025 season, the WNBA is experiencing significant changes in its coaching staffs. The Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and Seattle Storm have decided to part ways with their head coaches, leaving important vacancies in the league.
With the arrival of the expansion teams Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire for next year, five coaching positions are opening up for the 2026 season. Alofoke Deportes brings you the details of these strategic moves.
On October 17, Portland Fire announced Alex Sarama, assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, as their new coach. On October 22, Toronto Tempo did the same with Sandy Brondello, who previously coached the Liberty.Toronto Tempo: Sandy Brondello Takes the Reins
The WNBA’s first international team, the Toronto Tempo, has chosen Sandy Brondello as their head coach. Brondello, of Australian nationality, brings two decades of experience in the league.
With two championships and a regular season record of 452-271, Brondello offers instant competitive credibility to the Tempo.
Brondello has been a head coach in the WNBA for 13 seasons and an assistant for eight. In addition, she has represented Australia in international competitions as a player and coach since the 1980s.
Her career includes eight years as coach of the Phoenix Mercury, where she won a title in 2014. Subsequently, she led the New York Liberty, taking them to the WNBA Finals in 2023 and their first league championship in 2024. After an elimination in the first round this year, the Liberty decided to let her go.
Brondello’s knowledge of the WNBA and international basketball will be crucial for building the Tempo’s roster. Her approachable personality also makes her a valuable figure for the franchise, which seeks to establish itself as Canada’s team.
The Tempo will play their games at the Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto, as well as two regular season games in Montreal and two in Vancouver.Portland Fire: Alex Sarama and the CLA Approach
Alex Sarama, assistant coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been named coach of the Portland Fire. Sarama is an expert in the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA), a training system that has gained popularity in European basketball and in the NBA.
CLA focuses on adaptability, improvisation, and decision-making, rather than predetermined movement patterns. Sarama will use games with constraints to force players to make decisions under pressure.Dallas Wings: Chris Koclanes Leaves the Team
Chris Koclanes is leaving his position as coach of the Dallas Wings after a single season, in which the team had a record of 10-34. Koclanes was hired last December to replace Latricia Trammel.
Koclanes, who spent two seasons as an assistant at the University of Southern California and eight seasons in the WNBA, did not achieve the desired stability on a team that has had consistent problems in recent years.
Injuries and roster moves didn’t help Koclanes, and the franchise will seek its fifth head coach since 2019.New York Liberty: End of the Sandy Brondello Era
The Liberty decided not to renew Sandy Brondello’s contract, who leaves the team after four seasons and after winning the WNBA title in 2024. The team had a 27-17 record this season and was the fifth seed in the playoffs.
Brondello, who was hired in December 2021, had a 107-53 record in four seasons. Before arriving in New York, she coached the Phoenix Mercury from 2014 to 2021, winning a championship in 2014.Seattle Storm: Noelle Quinn and the Change of Course
Noelle Quinn left her position as coach of the Seattle Storm. Quinn, who was an assistant in 2019, took over as head coach at the beginning of the 2021 season. She had a regular season record of 97-89 and 4-8 in playoffs.
Quinn, who also played in the WNBA, led the Storm to the Commissioner’s Cup title and four playoff appearances in five seasons.
Despite the arrival of new figures, Seattle did not meet expectations in 2024.
