November 19, 2025 • 32 mins
In this episode of In Case You Missed It, Khristina Williams sits down with Sandy Brondello, the new head coach of the Toronto Tempo. They discuss Brondello’s journey in the WNBA, including her championship success with the New York Liberty, and her current task of building the Toronto Tempo as a new franchise. Brondello is as candid as ever as she shares her strategies, the importance of community engagement, and her vision for cultivating talent and establishing a winning culture in professional women's basketball. Plus, what does she think about the added pressure of coaching a team that plays for an entire country?
Want more women’s basketball scoop? Follow the show on Instagram @ICYMIwithKW and X @ICYMIwithKW and for more on Khristina, follow her on Instagram @khristinawilliams
Let us know what you think of the show by leaving a rating and a review!
CREDITS
Executive Producers:
Nikki Ettore
Jessie Katz
Tyler Klang
Jonathan Strickland
Producer:
Buffy Gorrilla
Producer & Editor:
Tari Harrison
Host:
Khristina Williams
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iheartwomen's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Welcome to another episode of In Case You Missed It
with Christina Williams, and for today's show, we have a
very special guest for Turning. Few coaches have seen the
(00:24):
WNBA evolve quite like Sandy Bundelo, from her playing days
in the league's early years to leading Phoenix to a
championship to finally delivering New York its long awaited title.
She's been part of winning cultures everywhere she's gone. Now
she's taking on something completely different, building one from the
(00:44):
ground up with Toronto Tempo, the WNBA's newest franchise, Canada's team. Sandy,
welcome back to In Case You missed It, and it's
so great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, thanks for having me again.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
It's been a long time since I've seing you, coach.
So the last time you were on this show, we
were talking about the Liberties Championship, a historic moment for
the franchise and for the city of New York. Now
you're starting something new with a completely new Toronto Tempo team.
What is it like moving from a team with an
established history to one that's just beginning. And how have
(01:22):
you personally handled this transition?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah? No, and actually, to be quite honest, it's been
really exciting. You know, I had four great years in
New York and you talked about the championship, which will
always have special memories for me, and what we could
do in New York. And you know, it's a real buzz,
isn't it. You've been a part of many of our games.
But you know, when one door closes, another one usually opens,
and it did for me. And you know, I decided
(01:48):
to take over an expansion team and I just felt
like it was the right time at this time in
my career. I've achieved so much and it's more like,
where do I want to keep Charlie myself to be better?
And hey, I think better than starting from ground zero
and building a team from scratch, but also having the
opportunity to build this, you know, to build the culture
(02:09):
and build the legacy in a you know, a great
city of Toronto. But also what you said, it's Canada's team,
so you're playing for the whole country.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
How did your experiences and your stops in Phoenix in
a York shape the way you approached your coaching free
agency at away, because I know you were solid after
by many teams. So what ultimately helped you make the
decision to choose the Toronto Tempo.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It wasn't I mean, it wasn't an easy decision in
that regard, but it got I got more clarity the
more when I put myself in those situations, because you know,
I didn't want to rush into anything. And luckily, you know,
there was some openings in this league that I could
you know, get to meet different different ownerships and you know,
gms and that, and I really enjoyed that process. But
(02:54):
in the end, I just just thought that's where my
heart was leading me, you know, at this age of
my career. And I just really felt a strong partnership
and collaboration with Monica Rodgers. And you know the fact
that she's a formal player that's won a championship and
you know I'm a former player that's a head coach. Yeah,
I thought that was pretty cool. But yeah, I liked everything.
(03:15):
The ownership is great. Larry Tannemboum really invested in making
this a world class franchise and you know that vision
they sold me on that vision to do something really
special from the ground up.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
The Toronto Tempo we mentioned how you know, the WNBA
is becoming a global game. About twenty percent of the
players in the league are international players. You are an
international player when you play in the w as well.
But how do you see expansion shape in the league
and opportunities specifically when it comes to the Toronto Tempo
on what you all are building. There are so many
Canadian players in the w but also for the basketball
(03:49):
fans niche and wide.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, look, and that's the beauty of our game, isn't it.
It truly is a global game. And twenty percent, I
see that number getting bigger and better the more, you know,
with two new expansion teams coming in, I think more,
more and more players will want to come to this league.
Obviously there's been conflict with their national programs in the past,
but I think that's gone away now because everyone wants
to play against the best, and especially WNBA's a real movement.
(04:14):
Women's sports are real movement. But just to be a
part of that, I think that's very unique, you know.
I think you know, obviously we have no players at
the moment, so we're strategizing, being intentional on what kind
of players we like, and hopefully those players love us
and the vision and you know what we're all about
what we're trying to sell from. I would imagine we're
going to have an internet so a lot of international players.
(04:36):
I think it'd be great to have a Canadian players,
but you know Canadian players, suit still has to pick
us as well, so we'll see. You know, we're excited.
We're just you know, controlling the controllables at the moment
because with the CBA there's not much we can do.
So we're just having a you know, some really good
discussions about our strategy moving forward.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What are some things that you can pull from, you know,
the success that the Golden State Valkyries had had and
just their first season. I mean, you're obviously one of
the most winning years coaches in women's basketball, so you
know a thing or two about the league and what
it takes to win. But starting from ground zero is
something new for you. So what are some things that
you can take away from what the Golden Steve Alchyis
(05:15):
did in their first season?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well what a first season it was. You know, it
just shows off they were very intentional about what kind
of players they wanted to bring in. Now most of
their players came from expansion you know, Tiffany Hayes, was
it really the own free agent? And you know, now
it's probably a little bit more different because a lot
of the players are free agents and you know, the
rules of the expansion draft will be you know, not
(05:38):
as clear or easy as what Golden State had it.
But I thought the players, they went very international. And
these players have been playing at a high level for many,
many years, and maybe we'll role players in the WNBA,
but now they've got an opportunity to show what they're
really about. And that's why I say truly is a
global game. We've got so many talented players worldwide. And
(05:58):
I thought Natalie did it a fantastic coach of the years.
She just got and play in a really fun and
tough style. And they embrace the culture and what they're
all about. You know, that's big for me too, Like
you've heard me talk about culture a fair bit. Now
we can start the culture from the ground up, and
you know it's led by the players. You know, what
kind of team do we want to be, what kind
of legacy do we want to leave. But it's those
(06:19):
connections off the court that will create I always believe
the stronger connections you have off the court, it's going
to help you performance on the court, and Golden State
showed that, and that's where I come from, you know,
especially if the teams I coach. I'm really big on
that and getting deeper connections so when adversity hits you
actually handle it in the right way and continue to
(06:40):
have growth instead of standing still because you can't get
out of the mud.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I like that getting it out of the mud. We
talked about, you know, you bring in the first championship
to the New York Liberty franchise and what you've built
there in terms of the success of the franchise. Looking
back at your time with the franchise, what stands out
the most of you about your tenure there as a
head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Winning a championship, But you know, it's you know, but
in the end, it's you know, that was that was
his epic. You know, the parade, everything, all the hard
work pays off. But I thought we were on a
journey together. Twenty twenty two, you know, a younger group
or Sabrina was coming into her own we still had
a lot of injuries. We changed your team a lot,
but we brought to win. You have to have talented players,
(07:24):
but you have to bring in the right kind of
players too, that kind of you know, complementary to each other.
And I thought Sabrina JJ and Brianna Stuart they did
that with Courtney vanderslub Nija Lane. You know, that was
a pretty tough team, but we lost the final on
twenty twenty three, so you understand it. You just put
a players together and think you're going to win. But
you know how we we learned from those you know,
(07:45):
not winning and the pain of that. That helped us
to win a championship. Yes, it went down to the wire,
but this is the best league in the world and
all teams are good. But those experiences helped you to
get to your destination if you you know, you do
it in the right way, and yeah, you know, become
connected on and off the court. I think that kind
of helps. But you know, for me, it all, it
(08:07):
all is every experience I have, and that's you know,
I look back with fond memories. It was a part
of my career. I got to achieve a lot, I
got to coach, amazing people I got to live in,
you know, just a great city and you know, so
many fond memories. But now it's more like, Okay, it's
the next phase of my career. And I'm really excited
(08:28):
because Torono is a big city. It's a vibrant city,
it's great in summer, there's so much It's the fourth
largest city in North America. So I like players like
big cities on so hopefully they want to, you know,
come over and you know, start the new journey for
us and grow something really special, you know, in a
new country.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I know that for the New York Liberty fans, I
mean they were so heartbroken when they heard the news.
And I love how you are approaching this next chapter
of your journey with such an open heart and open mind,
because some people have felt like didn't have closure for
your for your situation in terms of you know, the
Liberty fans are so super loyal and you know they
(09:07):
didn't have that closure. And we know, following a championship,
the challenge becomes trying to sustain that success, and it's
super hard to go back to back, but even in
that stretch of the twenty twenty five twenty twenty five season.
From your perspective, what did that challenge look like over
your final season in New York because we know how
(09:30):
much adversity the team based, right.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, no, one hundred percent. I mean, first, I'd like
to say the fans of New York they are loyal
and I love that about them. I've had so many messages.
Obviously you can't respond to all of them. I'd still
be going to this very day. And that's nice because
you know, when you do this at the high level,
you're always trying to do your best. You're not gonna
win every game, but I always you know what is
what you get? Are you always going to get my
(09:53):
authentic self, very genuine I'm always going to work hard
and continue to learn. So like you know, it's been
the lovers both ways for the fans of New York
and that won't change. And you know, hopefully they'll give
me a few more claps now that when I do
come back and visit. But you know, twenty twenty five
was a difficult year in many levels. You know, obviously
(10:14):
trying to repeat the challenge of that, and you can't
just be the same. I always say, you can't just
run it back, you've got to tweak some things, and
we tweaked a few things, the style of play and
what we wanted to you know, what our identity wanted
to be. But in the end, the injuries really just
you know, it was very disruptive season. We could not
get any continuity with our core group. Obviously, we lost
(10:36):
some really key players, you know, you know Benija Laney
not playing, you know, the toughness of Kayla Thorton was
in the expansion draft. And we just had so many
different lineups, so you could never find that consistency of
groups playing together. Now, when we had our first five together,
I think that's where at our best. But I think
we just ran a little short played a really great
team in Phoenix Phoenix Mercury. But it just goes to
(10:59):
show the strengths of this league. But you know, obviously
New York wants to win and they have to make decisions,
and you know, it's a business that we're in, and
if they felt that I wasn't the right person to
lead it forward, I mean that's a part of you know,
the world that we live in. However sad it is,
it's it's a part of it. And you know, I'm
a professional coach, so I understand that I know one
(11:19):
I can bring to a team. And I was really excited. Obviously,
you know I got you know, I was a free
agent there, so it was exciting to go through that process.
It's validating because like, Okay, one door closes, another one opens,
and just really excited about this new adventure you know
that I'm going to have in Canada.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And I'm sure fans can resonate with that message of
you know, just you being okay with that chapter closing.
After the season, I was a part of the media
members that was in that room for the exit meeting
with Jonathan Cole and like, one thing that stood out
to me that he said in his address to the
media after it was announced that they would not extend
(12:00):
your contract was that the process to winning the championship.
That was like the line that stuck out to me.
The process to winning the championship wasn't fully aligned with
whatever vision I guess front office or he had for
the team that season. From your perspective, right, how do
you reflect on that championship year and the path you
(12:21):
took to get there, Because whether it's one way or another,
you still met the end goal of winning, right, so
the process to getting there where What is your perspective
on that in.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Terms of the gest Yeah, I mean it's obviously I
didn't listen to it. I didn't, didn't need to, still
haven't and I won't. But it's fine. I mean, yeah,
it probably wasn't alignment, which I thought, But in the end,
I'm the head coach, and you know, I like that
it's the head coach. I always feel that it should be
supported from the front office, and you know, probably if
(12:54):
there's not alignment, it's probably best. And that's why I
wasn't too sad, because I you know, I'm the kind
of person that works in this environment where I feeling
supported because what we do, like being a head coach
is one of the hardest jobs. You know, I always
said the hardest thing of a head coach. He gets
lonely at the top. And you know, I think Jonathan's
a very good GM. But if he thinks that the
(13:16):
team could have done something different, especially with the adversity
that we did face, then that's okay because he has
to make those those decisions and look by those decisions,
and I'm fine. I mean, if anything I'm going to
miss the players. You know, I got to coach some
pretty special players. But those relationships will continue. And and
like I said, I'm not bitter. I have fun memories.
It's just not my personality, you know, it's you know,
(13:41):
I think you've known me over the years. Don't get
too high to lower that exactly is. You know, obviously
you can get sad moving on, but there's excitement because
there's new opportunities and for me to choose what bits
me best. And you know, the partnership in the collaboration
was very, very and the alignment was so important for
me in this next decision. I feel like, you know,
it's been it's so far, it's been excellent. I love
(14:03):
everything about the tempo.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and do you feel like the tempo will give
you the room now to be able to establish a
new process with this new group that's coming in. I
mean supportive of you and in the vision that you
have to, you know, get this chance, this new franchise
into a championship contending team.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
One hundred percent. I felt that from the very beginning.
I believe it. If you've met Monica, you know she's
just a great human being, and you know a former
player kind of been around the league and kind of
gets it and understands it there, but it has a
really great look. I'm all about collaboration though, because it's
not just my way. I'm not a dictated coach. I
want the collaboration and the input, including from the players.
(14:45):
You know, what do you guys think? What do you
feel out there? I've been a player, I know what
it's like, and hey, players are smart, so I'm you know,
all getting all. But in the end, obviously, as the
head coach, you have to make decisions and the you know,
obviously everything should fall on their head.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I you know, if we're losing, I'm blaming myself. But
then it's more about it's more about the solutions. It's
you know, on a process driven coach and what's it
looked like to us be better? Sometimes the other team
is just better, you know. Sometimes there's things that we
can control as well too, and we just didn't play
well on the day. If you've been a pro athlete,
you kind of know what that experiences are like. You know,
(15:21):
you're trying to get that consistency and sometimes you just
don't come together at the right time. But you know,
I always sell think if we were healthy for the year,
you know, things might have been different, but maybe I
still wouldn't wouldn't have been there. So like, no hard feelings,
great memories, got to win a championship, did something really special,
(15:41):
but now like a new adventure. I think that's that's
pretty cool as well.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
After the Liberty were eliminated in the first round of
the playoffs, a reporter asked your players whether you should
be back as head coach. How did you learn about
your contract not going to be extended and what was
that moment like for you to hear how your players
responded and have your back on the podium.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, obviously, you know, I mean that's a I actually
didn't know that we weren't having exit interviews, so I
probably sure, you know, I saw that. But look, Mattie,
she's a young reporter, and she she asked the question
that she thought was the only opportunity. And there's no nothing,
no grudges from me, because I'm like, Okay, she's doing
a job, and you know, the players responded in the
(16:39):
way that they wanted to. And but yeah, I always
I had already processed on knew I was probably it
was near the end for me, so I had already
gone through that what that looks like. And it's disappointing
when you do it on that that you know obviously
out in front. But you know, she asked the question,
and it is what it is. And you know, I
(17:00):
haven't spoken to Maddie, but I don't have any issues
with her. Definitely, she was just doing a job. I
don't know. My players were probably more upset for her
asking that more than anything else, but yeah, that's a
part of the job, and that's we're in a professional league.
So that was fine. I mean, I found I had
an exit meeting a few days later, so you know,
that's when you know, I you know, I had already
(17:22):
worked it out. I'm not that silly that it was
going to be the end for me, And and that
was okay. I talked about it, like I said, I'm
grateful for the opportunity it was, you know, thankful for
Joe and Clara for bringing me in and for what
we were able to achieve. Nothing that can ever be
taken away. And this is what I do for a living.
So one door closes, another one usually opens. And had
(17:43):
so many people reach out across the WNBA, NBA you
name it a worldwide but it's a part of our job,
isn't it. You always you always say you're going to
get fired at some stage, so you know, my contract
wasn't renewed. But here I am. I'm you know, I
have another opportunity ahead of me, and and that's you know,
I'm going to look for not backwards or continue to
learn and grow and try and be the best version
(18:04):
as of myself as I can be.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
This coaching carousel has definitely been quite something. I mean,
big splashes in the off season for all of the coaches,
but your assistant, Sonya Aman, she's gone on to now
be the head coach of the Seattle Storm. How has
your coaching network supported you through the transitions of your
career and what can you say about Sonya and like
(18:26):
how she was able to be a part of your staff.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah, no, I think Sonya obviously she's having an experience
coming in from working in the NBA and it gave
us a little bit of perspective. You always talked about
trying to do things a little bit different, you know,
Sonya bringing in some of her thoughts from the NBA,
and you know how we thought the games could be
played there. And you know, she's really big on analytics.
She has so much you know, experiencing she was a
(18:49):
head coach in Division three. It's still being a head coach,
you know, and navigating through different players and facing adversity.
And now she has this experience in the WNBA. So
I'm really happy. Obviously, what a trailblazer there, you know,
I mean just with her background and getting the opportunity
to coach a really great, you know, really great team
and you know they have potential to win it. Why not.
(19:11):
I think they've got the players if they can keep
them together. So I'm excited to see her to get
this opportunity in the w And then Zach O'Brien, he
is the head, one of the head coaches at Unrivaled,
and excited about that and what people have to remember,
like Zach was my lead offensive coach and I'm like, Okay,
he didn't get enough recognition for that. And he's very
(19:33):
good at what he does. He's great in the player
development and putting those offensive concepts in. So excited that
he finally gets this opportunity to lead. Obviously it's three
on three, but I think he's going to be brilliant.
And then Rinika Hodge is obviously and head coach down
Andrew obviously. All Off Lang's being named the German national
head coach and he's currently in camp at the moment,
(19:56):
So it's exciting. And I always say as a coach,
you put people around you that, yeah, your assistant Sarah,
to make you make the head coach look look better.
You know, they work really hard and it's been great
to watch their journey because a part of me, all
of my coaches, I want them to feel like an
assistant coach. They all have a voice, they valued, they
all scout regardless of how many experiences you have in
(20:18):
front of the team, because the only way you learn
if you're thrown into the fire, like let's go, let's
learn by doing. And it's been exciting just to watch
their development.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
You mentioned Sonya's NBA experience, and I feel like when
you look at the pattern now and seeing some of
how these benches are being built in the w some
teams are now leaning towards hiring assistance with NBA experience.
Do you see that stylistically from a coach's perspective, that
(20:47):
the game is changing. Now we're the WNBA is playing
NBA style basketball.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah. Look, I think in the end you play, I
think we all steal things from each other, like the innovation,
evolution of the game changes, you know, and we want
to put our players in the best position to have success.
So yeah, I think we're you know, regardless you've got
NBA on your staff. I think most teams try and
play an NBA style, you know. I know we have
(21:17):
over the years, just trying to space the floor with
our being intentional with how we want to play, and
it's going to continue to grow. But every NBA team
then they don't all play the same. So you know,
what's NBA look like. You look at the Mount Miami
Heat now to you know, how San Antonio Spurs play
and you know, to LA totally different systems, you know,
but they're effective because they're about putting their best players
(21:41):
in the right position to win. So I think, you know,
I think we've got some great talent, you know, former
players that probably should be more on opportunities of leadership here.
But I think, you know, NBA coaches see that the
w n b A is obviously legit. You know, I
suppose that gives this cruit like, Okay, we're credibility. But
(22:03):
you know, we're all coaches. That's not to say any
of us can't go and coach in the NBA as
well too, And but I think it's just getting you know,
getting your understanding of like, Okay, bring some more ideas.
I think that's exciting. So if NBA guys want to
come back and sit on the bench's assists, since, I
think that's good because it's showing growth in our league.
It's like because because in the end, it's the game
(22:25):
of basketball, it's not men's or women.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
I want to go back to some of the players
that you've been able to coach over your tenure as
a coach. You've coached some of the league's best Diana Tarazi,
Brittany Griner in Phoenix, Brianna Stewart, John Quaal, Joe Sabrina
Jonascu in New York. How has working with different types
of star players shaped your approach to coaching.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, look at you know, I've been very blessed to
coach some of the greats of the game, and you know,
I think along my journey, I've been able to learn
so much from them as well. You know, it's it's
like I said, I've never I'm not a dictator. I've
been a player, so that kind of helps me. There's experiences,
but the most important thing in my leadership is is
the relationship building. In the start of that is getting
(23:24):
to know these players, just how they tick, what are
they you know, you know, what kind of person are
they are, their mentality so allows me an inside of
how best to coach them. And then always being in
constant communication. I think communication is such a big piece
of the leadership and just getting to know them at
a deeper level, but they're also getting to know you
as well. And I think that I talk about that's
(23:45):
the culture of more connections that kind of helps. But
those best players is like I said, it's not just
this coaching stuff, putting a system and place what works.
It's making sure we get feedback and listening to the
players because they're out on the court. And I think
when you have more collaboration like that, you're just more
connected on all levels. And you know, I think they
they've kind of helped me, you know, challenge me in
(24:07):
certain situations. But in the end, I'm always you know,
I'm always going to keep learning and growing. I think
that's a part. Doesn't matter how young or old you are,
it's always a do you want to grow or not?
And I have a growth mindset, and I'm very curious about,
you know, how how could play basketball better but also
being a better leader. I mean, I don't think I'm there.
(24:28):
I have so many great experiences, but yeah, I think
just every experience is opportunity to learn. And those you know,
players have taught me a lot. And it's not just
the best players you talked about. You know, when you're
building a roster, obviously you need your talented player, but
they're all talented. So some talented players have to accept
roles to make the team function at a high level.
(24:50):
And you know, but nos're landing, for example, she haven't
accept a role Courtney Vandersloop And it really says a
lot about them because they're champions. Yes, they could probably
you know, be the main pl other teams when we
run our championship, but it was more what was best
for the team and at the time, and not to
say that it was right that roller in, but it
was just the way how we thought it would fit
best together. And so you know, I try and make
(25:12):
sure that the role players feel as valued as they
can be because it is a team game, and you
can't You're not just relying on your stars, You're relying
on a team because you know, great team teamwork is
always going to super exceed individual play.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah, that's very interesting, And how you bring in buying
into the system, and you know, interestingly pointed out like
all of these players are talented. Again, these are the
top one percent athletes in the world. In it's all about,
like you said, buying into a system in order to win.
The Temple will be building a raster during a really
significant moment in WNBA history. Obviously we're still waiting to
(25:49):
see what happens with the CBA, but WNBA free agency
in twenty six is going to be one of the
biggest free agencies in league history. Without getting into specifics,
how are you approaching the first phase of constructing the
team and really setting the foundation for the future of
the tempo.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Yeah, I think obviously Monic has put together assistant gm
Eli and in the you know, the analytics department, I
mean really smart. They just blow in my mind. I've
never been seen anything quite like it. And just being
really intentional of our evaluation of all the players and
through the you know, through the data and but then
also through the eye tests and really having open and
(26:28):
honest conversations about what that looks like. Now we're in
the early stage of the process, but we're building it
up now. I've only just been announced last week, so
you know, we're just strategizing and being really intentional. You know, obviously,
what's what kind of players I want, you know, and
you know, having input there, but I want their opinion.
What do you think? What it's the data saying, who
(26:49):
do we think we can get? You know what I mean,
I think we gotta we got to dream big. You
got to dream big that, you know, and hopefully we
can sell them on the vision and and you know,
doing something really special in a new team but in
a totally different country. So that's really what we got
to sell, you know. So hopefully, you know, hopefully me
(27:09):
being the head coach there and Monica being a former player,
that players will be interested. And we want to do
things right. We want to treat the players, you know,
give them a great experience, and but you know, make
sure that we put the best team possible on the court.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah, and and thinking about the system that you want
to create outside of the rosters, how are you going
to approach building out your coaching staff because that's a
new challenge too, right Like now you have to rebuild
an entire new coaching staff. So so what are some
characteristics for things that you're looking for to help support
you in this new journey.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, Look, I think obviously a lot of people have
reached out and that's great. I think they're interesting and
there's so many to choose from, you know. For me, yeah,
my husband will be joining me. He's unofficial, but he
will be official there. So it's all about how do
we compliment? What are we else do we need? So
I've been you'd maybe I'll go to an MBA a
little bit, maybe I'll go to college. You know, I'm
(28:04):
just being open minded because it's more about when I've
talked to the connections, you know, it's connections and obviously
what's their skill set? How do you compliment whoever else
is on staff? And then adding it in obviously got
the analytics piece, you got the video and you got
the player development and just making we get really good
people who are all about helping people to be the best.
(28:27):
That they can be and then been able to work,
you know, great and enjoying the journey together because what
we do is hard and it will get hard at time,
but we can still have a growth mindset. But knowing,
don't forget to have joy and sometimes, you know, I
know this year it was hard. It was hard for
me at times, like you got to you know, you
do this, this is our passion and you know, I
(28:48):
think I'm really excited. I don't know if you can
feel it, but I'm just excited to you know, do
something new and hopefully I'm sure I'll get a really
great coaching staff that the players will will fill their
energy and expertise as well.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
What part of the expansion project, because it's a project now,
like all the pieces are slowly getting lead and putt
into place. Are you most looking forward to as a
coach and what do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge.
I know that because there isn't a CBA right maybe
the roster right now, like not knowing all these uncertainty
around that maybe be a challenge. But from your perspective,
(29:24):
what do you think will be the biggest challenge and
what excites you?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Yeah, I think the biggest challenge. But what excites me
is free agency. It's just obviously getting in front of
these players and you know, selling them on our vision,
but getting to know us. You know, obviously, I think
I have a great reputation in this league, but I
don't know all the players personally, so it's like just
getting to know them at on a different level and
(29:49):
the connections there and how best that you know, we
can see them wearing tempo colors. And it's a challenge,
but that's also exciting too. I'm really excited about that process,
and because starting from the beginning or we're building out
a whole team, you know. Obviously the expansion draft too,
but I think the free agency in particular this year
because obviously with the CBA in place, you talked about
(30:11):
all the free agents that are out there, but making
sure we're very intentional about Obviously we need talent, but
we want the right people that fits the culture. You
know that we can play at the highest level, but
also you know, play for future generations as well. There's
a responsibility you know obviously what we want, what the
kind of product we want to put out in the four.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Coach Sandy, I want to thank you so much for
joining us this week on In Case You missed It.
We're definitely gonna miss you in New York. I mean,
who else is going to give us week Australian treats
at practice. We're certainly going to miss you in New
York City. But I'm wishing you all of the best
in Toronto. Hope that can get up there from New
(30:51):
York to come to a game or a few. But yeah,
thank you so much for coming on In Case you
missed it this week.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah no, thanks for having me again. And you're definite
you need to come up. It's just a short flaught.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Look, coach is trying to recruit me to Toronto, y'all.
Thank you so much, Sandy. That's gonna do it for
this edition of In Case You Missed It with Christina
Williams here on Iheartwomen's Sports Network, and I just want
to thank Coach Sandy Acon for coming through. Wishing you
all the best in Toronto and in case you missed again.
This is actually the last show on the iHeart Women's
(31:24):
Sports Network slate, but the show will continue. I want
to acknowledge some people who behind the scenes have had
a hand and making the show happen. Shout out to Jesse,
will Laura, Tari, Buffy, Mike, Peter, Nikki, Jonathan, JS three
Mark all of the people who have had a hand
(31:46):
and making the show happen week to week. Truly appreciate you, guys.
Don't forget to Still subscribe to the podcast and rate
and review below, and we'll be back for phase two
of the show shortly in case you missed it. With
Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
(32:07):
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts.
In Case You Missed It with Christina Williams is an
iheartwomen's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment.
Welcome to another episode of In Case You Missed It
with Christina Williams, and for today's show, we have a
very special guest for Turning. Few coaches have seen the
(00:24):
WNBA evolve quite like Sandy Bundelo, from her playing days
in the league's early years to leading Phoenix to a
championship to finally delivering New York its long awaited title.
She's been part of winning cultures everywhere she's gone. Now
she's taking on something completely different, building one from the
(00:44):
ground up with Toronto Tempo, the WNBA's newest franchise, Canada's team. Sandy,
welcome back to In Case You missed It, and it's
so great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, thanks for having me again.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
It's been a long time since I've seing you, coach.
So the last time you were on this show, we
were talking about the Liberties Championship, a historic moment for
the franchise and for the city of New York. Now
you're starting something new with a completely new Toronto Tempo team.
What is it like moving from a team with an
established history to one that's just beginning. And how have
(01:22):
you personally handled this transition?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah? No, and actually, to be quite honest, it's been
really exciting. You know, I had four great years in
New York and you talked about the championship, which will
always have special memories for me, and what we could
do in New York. And you know, it's a real buzz,
isn't it. You've been a part of many of our games.
But you know, when one door closes, another one usually opens,
and it did for me. And you know, I decided
(01:48):
to take over an expansion team and I just felt
like it was the right time at this time in
my career. I've achieved so much and it's more like,
where do I want to keep Charlie myself to be better?
And hey, I think better than starting from ground zero
and building a team from scratch, but also having the
opportunity to build this, you know, to build the culture
(02:09):
and build the legacy in a you know, a great
city of Toronto. But also what you said, it's Canada's team,
so you're playing for the whole country.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
How did your experiences and your stops in Phoenix in
a York shape the way you approached your coaching free
agency at away, because I know you were solid after
by many teams. So what ultimately helped you make the
decision to choose the Toronto Tempo.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It wasn't I mean, it wasn't an easy decision in
that regard, but it got I got more clarity the
more when I put myself in those situations, because you know,
I didn't want to rush into anything. And luckily, you know,
there was some openings in this league that I could
you know, get to meet different different ownerships and you know,
gms and that, and I really enjoyed that process. But
(02:54):
in the end, I just just thought that's where my
heart was leading me, you know, at this age of
my career. And I just really felt a strong partnership
and collaboration with Monica Rodgers. And you know the fact
that she's a formal player that's won a championship and
you know I'm a former player that's a head coach. Yeah,
I thought that was pretty cool. But yeah, I liked everything.
(03:15):
The ownership is great. Larry Tannemboum really invested in making
this a world class franchise and you know that vision
they sold me on that vision to do something really
special from the ground up.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
The Toronto Tempo we mentioned how you know, the WNBA
is becoming a global game. About twenty percent of the
players in the league are international players. You are an
international player when you play in the w as well.
But how do you see expansion shape in the league
and opportunities specifically when it comes to the Toronto Tempo
on what you all are building. There are so many
Canadian players in the w but also for the basketball
(03:49):
fans niche and wide.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
Yeah, look, and that's the beauty of our game, isn't it.
It truly is a global game. And twenty percent, I
see that number getting bigger and better the more, you know,
with two new expansion teams coming in, I think more,
more and more players will want to come to this league.
Obviously there's been conflict with their national programs in the past,
but I think that's gone away now because everyone wants
to play against the best, and especially WNBA's a real movement.
(04:14):
Women's sports are real movement. But just to be a
part of that, I think that's very unique, you know.
I think you know, obviously we have no players at
the moment, so we're strategizing, being intentional on what kind
of players we like, and hopefully those players love us
and the vision and you know what we're all about
what we're trying to sell from. I would imagine we're
going to have an internet so a lot of international players.
(04:36):
I think it'd be great to have a Canadian players,
but you know Canadian players, suit still has to pick
us as well, so we'll see. You know, we're excited.
We're just you know, controlling the controllables at the moment
because with the CBA there's not much we can do.
So we're just having a you know, some really good
discussions about our strategy moving forward.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What are some things that you can pull from, you know,
the success that the Golden State Valkyries had had and
just their first season. I mean, you're obviously one of
the most winning years coaches in women's basketball, so you
know a thing or two about the league and what
it takes to win. But starting from ground zero is
something new for you. So what are some things that
you can take away from what the Golden Steve Alchyis
(05:15):
did in their first season?
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Well what a first season it was. You know, it
just shows off they were very intentional about what kind
of players they wanted to bring in. Now most of
their players came from expansion you know, Tiffany Hayes, was
it really the own free agent? And you know, now
it's probably a little bit more different because a lot
of the players are free agents and you know, the
rules of the expansion draft will be you know, not
(05:38):
as clear or easy as what Golden State had it.
But I thought the players, they went very international. And
these players have been playing at a high level for many,
many years, and maybe we'll role players in the WNBA,
but now they've got an opportunity to show what they're
really about. And that's why I say truly is a
global game. We've got so many talented players worldwide. And
(05:58):
I thought Natalie did it a fantastic coach of the years.
She just got and play in a really fun and
tough style. And they embrace the culture and what they're
all about. You know, that's big for me too, Like
you've heard me talk about culture a fair bit. Now
we can start the culture from the ground up, and
you know it's led by the players. You know, what
kind of team do we want to be, what kind
of legacy do we want to leave. But it's those
(06:19):
connections off the court that will create I always believe
the stronger connections you have off the court, it's going
to help you performance on the court, and Golden State
showed that, and that's where I come from, you know,
especially if the teams I coach. I'm really big on
that and getting deeper connections so when adversity hits you
actually handle it in the right way and continue to
(06:40):
have growth instead of standing still because you can't get
out of the mud.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
I like that getting it out of the mud. We
talked about, you know, you bring in the first championship
to the New York Liberty franchise and what you've built
there in terms of the success of the franchise. Looking
back at your time with the franchise, what stands out
the most of you about your tenure there as a
head coach.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Winning a championship, But you know, it's you know, but
in the end, it's you know, that was that was
his epic. You know, the parade, everything, all the hard
work pays off. But I thought we were on a
journey together. Twenty twenty two, you know, a younger group
or Sabrina was coming into her own we still had
a lot of injuries. We changed your team a lot,
but we brought to win. You have to have talented players,
(07:24):
but you have to bring in the right kind of
players too, that kind of you know, complementary to each other.
And I thought Sabrina JJ and Brianna Stuart they did
that with Courtney vanderslub Nija Lane. You know, that was
a pretty tough team, but we lost the final on
twenty twenty three, so you understand it. You just put
a players together and think you're going to win. But
you know how we we learned from those you know,
(07:45):
not winning and the pain of that. That helped us
to win a championship. Yes, it went down to the wire,
but this is the best league in the world and
all teams are good. But those experiences helped you to
get to your destination if you you know, you do
it in the right way, and yeah, you know, become
connected on and off the court. I think that kind
of helps. But you know, for me, it all, it
(08:07):
all is every experience I have, and that's you know,
I look back with fond memories. It was a part
of my career. I got to achieve a lot, I
got to coach, amazing people I got to live in,
you know, just a great city and you know, so
many fond memories. But now it's more like, Okay, it's
the next phase of my career. And I'm really excited
(08:28):
because Torono is a big city. It's a vibrant city,
it's great in summer, there's so much It's the fourth
largest city in North America. So I like players like
big cities on so hopefully they want to, you know,
come over and you know, start the new journey for
us and grow something really special, you know, in a
new country.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
I know that for the New York Liberty fans, I
mean they were so heartbroken when they heard the news.
And I love how you are approaching this next chapter
of your journey with such an open heart and open mind,
because some people have felt like didn't have closure for
your for your situation in terms of you know, the
Liberty fans are so super loyal and you know they
(09:07):
didn't have that closure. And we know, following a championship,
the challenge becomes trying to sustain that success, and it's
super hard to go back to back, but even in
that stretch of the twenty twenty five twenty twenty five season.
From your perspective, what did that challenge look like over
your final season in New York because we know how
(09:30):
much adversity the team based, right.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, no, one hundred percent. I mean, first, I'd like
to say the fans of New York they are loyal
and I love that about them. I've had so many messages.
Obviously you can't respond to all of them. I'd still
be going to this very day. And that's nice because
you know, when you do this at the high level,
you're always trying to do your best. You're not gonna
win every game, but I always you know what is
what you get? Are you always going to get my
(09:53):
authentic self, very genuine I'm always going to work hard
and continue to learn. So like you know, it's been
the lovers both ways for the fans of New York
and that won't change. And you know, hopefully they'll give
me a few more claps now that when I do
come back and visit. But you know, twenty twenty five
was a difficult year in many levels. You know, obviously
(10:14):
trying to repeat the challenge of that, and you can't
just be the same. I always say, you can't just
run it back, you've got to tweak some things, and
we tweaked a few things, the style of play and
what we wanted to you know, what our identity wanted
to be. But in the end, the injuries really just
you know, it was very disruptive season. We could not
get any continuity with our core group. Obviously, we lost
(10:36):
some really key players, you know, you know Benija Laney
not playing, you know, the toughness of Kayla Thorton was
in the expansion draft. And we just had so many
different lineups, so you could never find that consistency of
groups playing together. Now, when we had our first five together,
I think that's where at our best. But I think
we just ran a little short played a really great
team in Phoenix Phoenix Mercury. But it just goes to
(10:59):
show the strengths of this league. But you know, obviously
New York wants to win and they have to make decisions,
and you know, it's a business that we're in, and
if they felt that I wasn't the right person to
lead it forward, I mean that's a part of you know,
the world that we live in. However sad it is,
it's it's a part of it. And you know, I'm
a professional coach, so I understand that I know one
(11:19):
I can bring to a team. And I was really excited. Obviously,
you know I got you know, I was a free
agent there, so it was exciting to go through that process.
It's validating because like, Okay, one door closes, another one opens,
and just really excited about this new adventure you know
that I'm going to have in Canada.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
And I'm sure fans can resonate with that message of
you know, just you being okay with that chapter closing.
After the season, I was a part of the media
members that was in that room for the exit meeting
with Jonathan Cole and like, one thing that stood out
to me that he said in his address to the
media after it was announced that they would not extend
(12:00):
your contract was that the process to winning the championship.
That was like the line that stuck out to me.
The process to winning the championship wasn't fully aligned with
whatever vision I guess front office or he had for
the team that season. From your perspective, right, how do
you reflect on that championship year and the path you
(12:21):
took to get there, Because whether it's one way or another,
you still met the end goal of winning, right, so
the process to getting there where What is your perspective
on that in.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Terms of the gest Yeah, I mean it's obviously I
didn't listen to it. I didn't, didn't need to, still
haven't and I won't. But it's fine. I mean, yeah,
it probably wasn't alignment, which I thought, But in the end,
I'm the head coach, and you know, I like that
it's the head coach. I always feel that it should be
supported from the front office, and you know, probably if
(12:54):
there's not alignment, it's probably best. And that's why I
wasn't too sad, because I you know, I'm the kind
of person that works in this environment where I feeling
supported because what we do, like being a head coach
is one of the hardest jobs. You know, I always
said the hardest thing of a head coach. He gets
lonely at the top. And you know, I think Jonathan's
a very good GM. But if he thinks that the
(13:16):
team could have done something different, especially with the adversity
that we did face, then that's okay because he has
to make those those decisions and look by those decisions,
and I'm fine. I mean, if anything I'm going to
miss the players. You know, I got to coach some
pretty special players. But those relationships will continue. And and
like I said, I'm not bitter. I have fun memories.
It's just not my personality, you know, it's you know,
(13:41):
I think you've known me over the years. Don't get
too high to lower that exactly is. You know, obviously
you can get sad moving on, but there's excitement because
there's new opportunities and for me to choose what bits
me best. And you know, the partnership in the collaboration
was very, very and the alignment was so important for
me in this next decision. I feel like, you know,
it's been it's so far, it's been excellent. I love
(14:03):
everything about the tempo.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yeah, and do you feel like the tempo will give
you the room now to be able to establish a
new process with this new group that's coming in. I
mean supportive of you and in the vision that you
have to, you know, get this chance, this new franchise
into a championship contending team.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
One hundred percent. I felt that from the very beginning.
I believe it. If you've met Monica, you know she's
just a great human being, and you know a former
player kind of been around the league and kind of
gets it and understands it there, but it has a
really great look. I'm all about collaboration though, because it's
not just my way. I'm not a dictated coach. I
want the collaboration and the input, including from the players.
(14:45):
You know, what do you guys think? What do you
feel out there? I've been a player, I know what
it's like, and hey, players are smart, so I'm you know,
all getting all. But in the end, obviously, as the
head coach, you have to make decisions and the you know,
obviously everything should fall on their head.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Coach.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
I you know, if we're losing, I'm blaming myself. But
then it's more about it's more about the solutions. It's
you know, on a process driven coach and what's it
looked like to us be better? Sometimes the other team
is just better, you know. Sometimes there's things that we
can control as well too, and we just didn't play
well on the day. If you've been a pro athlete,
you kind of know what that experiences are like. You know,
(15:21):
you're trying to get that consistency and sometimes you just
don't come together at the right time. But you know,
I always sell think if we were healthy for the year,
you know, things might have been different, but maybe I
still wouldn't wouldn't have been there. So like, no hard feelings,
great memories, got to win a championship, did something really special,
(15:41):
but now like a new adventure. I think that's that's
pretty cool as well.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
After the Liberty were eliminated in the first round of
the playoffs, a reporter asked your players whether you should
be back as head coach. How did you learn about
your contract not going to be extended and what was
that moment like for you to hear how your players
responded and have your back on the podium.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Yeah, obviously, you know, I mean that's a I actually
didn't know that we weren't having exit interviews, so I
probably sure, you know, I saw that. But look, Mattie,
she's a young reporter, and she she asked the question
that she thought was the only opportunity. And there's no nothing,
no grudges from me, because I'm like, Okay, she's doing
a job, and you know, the players responded in the
(16:39):
way that they wanted to. And but yeah, I always
I had already processed on knew I was probably it
was near the end for me, so I had already
gone through that what that looks like. And it's disappointing
when you do it on that that you know obviously
out in front. But you know, she asked the question,
and it is what it is. And you know, I
(17:00):
haven't spoken to Maddie, but I don't have any issues
with her. Definitely, she was just doing a job. I
don't know. My players were probably more upset for her
asking that more than anything else, but yeah, that's a
part of the job, and that's we're in a professional league.
So that was fine. I mean, I found I had
an exit meeting a few days later, so you know,
that's when you know, I you know, I had already
(17:22):
worked it out. I'm not that silly that it was
going to be the end for me, And and that
was okay. I talked about it, like I said, I'm
grateful for the opportunity it was, you know, thankful for
Joe and Clara for bringing me in and for what
we were able to achieve. Nothing that can ever be
taken away. And this is what I do for a living.
So one door closes, another one usually opens. And had
(17:43):
so many people reach out across the WNBA, NBA you
name it a worldwide but it's a part of our job,
isn't it. You always you always say you're going to
get fired at some stage, so you know, my contract
wasn't renewed. But here I am. I'm you know, I
have another opportunity ahead of me, and and that's you know,
I'm going to look for not backwards or continue to
learn and grow and try and be the best version
(18:04):
as of myself as I can be.
Speaker 1 (18:06):
This coaching carousel has definitely been quite something. I mean,
big splashes in the off season for all of the coaches,
but your assistant, Sonya Aman, she's gone on to now
be the head coach of the Seattle Storm. How has
your coaching network supported you through the transitions of your
career and what can you say about Sonya and like
(18:26):
how she was able to be a part of your staff.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Yeah, no, I think Sonya obviously she's having an experience
coming in from working in the NBA and it gave
us a little bit of perspective. You always talked about
trying to do things a little bit different, you know,
Sonya bringing in some of her thoughts from the NBA,
and you know how we thought the games could be
played there. And you know, she's really big on analytics.
She has so much you know, experiencing she was a
(18:49):
head coach in Division three. It's still being a head coach,
you know, and navigating through different players and facing adversity.
And now she has this experience in the WNBA. So
I'm really happy. Obviously, what a trailblazer there, you know,
I mean just with her background and getting the opportunity
to coach a really great, you know, really great team
and you know they have potential to win it. Why not.
(19:11):
I think they've got the players if they can keep
them together. So I'm excited to see her to get
this opportunity in the w And then Zach O'Brien, he
is the head, one of the head coaches at Unrivaled,
and excited about that and what people have to remember,
like Zach was my lead offensive coach and I'm like, Okay,
he didn't get enough recognition for that. And he's very
(19:33):
good at what he does. He's great in the player
development and putting those offensive concepts in. So excited that
he finally gets this opportunity to lead. Obviously it's three
on three, but I think he's going to be brilliant.
And then Rinika Hodge is obviously and head coach down
Andrew obviously. All Off Lang's being named the German national
head coach and he's currently in camp at the moment,
(19:56):
So it's exciting. And I always say as a coach,
you put people around you that, yeah, your assistant Sarah,
to make you make the head coach look look better.
You know, they work really hard and it's been great
to watch their journey because a part of me, all
of my coaches, I want them to feel like an
assistant coach. They all have a voice, they valued, they
all scout regardless of how many experiences you have in
(20:18):
front of the team, because the only way you learn
if you're thrown into the fire, like let's go, let's
learn by doing. And it's been exciting just to watch
their development.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
You mentioned Sonya's NBA experience, and I feel like when
you look at the pattern now and seeing some of
how these benches are being built in the w some
teams are now leaning towards hiring assistance with NBA experience.
Do you see that stylistically from a coach's perspective, that
(20:47):
the game is changing. Now we're the WNBA is playing
NBA style basketball.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Yeah. Look, I think in the end you play, I
think we all steal things from each other, like the innovation,
evolution of the game changes, you know, and we want
to put our players in the best position to have success.
So yeah, I think we're you know, regardless you've got
NBA on your staff. I think most teams try and
play an NBA style, you know. I know we have
(21:17):
over the years, just trying to space the floor with
our being intentional with how we want to play, and
it's going to continue to grow. But every NBA team
then they don't all play the same. So you know,
what's NBA look like. You look at the Mount Miami
Heat now to you know, how San Antonio Spurs play
and you know, to LA totally different systems, you know,
but they're effective because they're about putting their best players
(21:41):
in the right position to win. So I think, you know,
I think we've got some great talent, you know, former
players that probably should be more on opportunities of leadership here.
But I think, you know, NBA coaches see that the
w n b A is obviously legit. You know, I
suppose that gives this cruit like, Okay, we're credibility. But
(22:03):
you know, we're all coaches. That's not to say any
of us can't go and coach in the NBA as
well too, And but I think it's just getting you know,
getting your understanding of like, Okay, bring some more ideas.
I think that's exciting. So if NBA guys want to
come back and sit on the bench's assists, since, I
think that's good because it's showing growth in our league.
It's like because because in the end, it's the game
(22:25):
of basketball, it's not men's or women.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
I want to go back to some of the players
that you've been able to coach over your tenure as
a coach. You've coached some of the league's best Diana Tarazi,
Brittany Griner in Phoenix, Brianna Stewart, John Quaal, Joe Sabrina
Jonascu in New York. How has working with different types
of star players shaped your approach to coaching.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Yeah, look at you know, I've been very blessed to
coach some of the greats of the game, and you know,
I think along my journey, I've been able to learn
so much from them as well. You know, it's it's
like I said, I've never I'm not a dictator. I've
been a player, so that kind of helps me. There's experiences,
but the most important thing in my leadership is is
the relationship building. In the start of that is getting
(23:24):
to know these players, just how they tick, what are
they you know, you know, what kind of person are
they are, their mentality so allows me an inside of
how best to coach them. And then always being in
constant communication. I think communication is such a big piece
of the leadership and just getting to know them at
a deeper level, but they're also getting to know you
as well. And I think that I talk about that's
(23:45):
the culture of more connections that kind of helps. But
those best players is like I said, it's not just
this coaching stuff, putting a system and place what works.
It's making sure we get feedback and listening to the
players because they're out on the court. And I think
when you have more collaboration like that, you're just more
connected on all levels. And you know, I think they
they've kind of helped me, you know, challenge me in
(24:07):
certain situations. But in the end, I'm always you know,
I'm always going to keep learning and growing. I think
that's a part. Doesn't matter how young or old you are,
it's always a do you want to grow or not?
And I have a growth mindset, and I'm very curious about,
you know, how how could play basketball better but also
being a better leader. I mean, I don't think I'm there.
(24:28):
I have so many great experiences, but yeah, I think
just every experience is opportunity to learn. And those you know,
players have taught me a lot. And it's not just
the best players you talked about. You know, when you're
building a roster, obviously you need your talented player, but
they're all talented. So some talented players have to accept
roles to make the team function at a high level.
(24:50):
And you know, but nos're landing, for example, she haven't
accept a role Courtney Vandersloop And it really says a
lot about them because they're champions. Yes, they could probably
you know, be the main pl other teams when we
run our championship, but it was more what was best
for the team and at the time, and not to
say that it was right that roller in, but it
was just the way how we thought it would fit
best together. And so you know, I try and make
(25:12):
sure that the role players feel as valued as they
can be because it is a team game, and you
can't You're not just relying on your stars, You're relying
on a team because you know, great team teamwork is
always going to super exceed individual play.
Speaker 1 (25:25):
Yeah, that's very interesting, And how you bring in buying
into the system, and you know, interestingly pointed out like
all of these players are talented. Again, these are the
top one percent athletes in the world. In it's all about,
like you said, buying into a system in order to win.
The Temple will be building a raster during a really
significant moment in WNBA history. Obviously we're still waiting to
(25:49):
see what happens with the CBA, but WNBA free agency
in twenty six is going to be one of the
biggest free agencies in league history. Without getting into specifics,
how are you approaching the first phase of constructing the
team and really setting the foundation for the future of
the tempo.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
Yeah, I think obviously Monic has put together assistant gm
Eli and in the you know, the analytics department, I
mean really smart. They just blow in my mind. I've
never been seen anything quite like it. And just being
really intentional of our evaluation of all the players and
through the you know, through the data and but then
also through the eye tests and really having open and
(26:28):
honest conversations about what that looks like. Now we're in
the early stage of the process, but we're building it
up now. I've only just been announced last week, so
you know, we're just strategizing and being really intentional. You know, obviously,
what's what kind of players I want, you know, and
you know, having input there, but I want their opinion.
What do you think? What it's the data saying, who
(26:49):
do we think we can get? You know what I mean,
I think we gotta we got to dream big. You
got to dream big that, you know, and hopefully we
can sell them on the vision and and you know,
doing something really special in a new team but in
a totally different country. So that's really what we got
to sell, you know. So hopefully, you know, hopefully me
(27:09):
being the head coach there and Monica being a former player,
that players will be interested. And we want to do
things right. We want to treat the players, you know,
give them a great experience, and but you know, make
sure that we put the best team possible on the court.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yeah, and and thinking about the system that you want
to create outside of the rosters, how are you going
to approach building out your coaching staff because that's a
new challenge too, right Like now you have to rebuild
an entire new coaching staff. So so what are some
characteristics for things that you're looking for to help support
you in this new journey.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah, Look, I think obviously a lot of people have
reached out and that's great. I think they're interesting and
there's so many to choose from, you know. For me, yeah,
my husband will be joining me. He's unofficial, but he
will be official there. So it's all about how do
we compliment? What are we else do we need? So
I've been you'd maybe I'll go to an MBA a
little bit, maybe I'll go to college. You know, I'm
(28:04):
just being open minded because it's more about when I've
talked to the connections, you know, it's connections and obviously
what's their skill set? How do you compliment whoever else
is on staff? And then adding it in obviously got
the analytics piece, you got the video and you got
the player development and just making we get really good
people who are all about helping people to be the best.
(28:27):
That they can be and then been able to work,
you know, great and enjoying the journey together because what
we do is hard and it will get hard at time,
but we can still have a growth mindset. But knowing,
don't forget to have joy and sometimes, you know, I
know this year it was hard. It was hard for
me at times, like you got to you know, you
do this, this is our passion and you know, I
(28:48):
think I'm really excited. I don't know if you can
feel it, but I'm just excited to you know, do
something new and hopefully I'm sure I'll get a really
great coaching staff that the players will will fill their
energy and expertise as well.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
What part of the expansion project, because it's a project now,
like all the pieces are slowly getting lead and putt
into place. Are you most looking forward to as a
coach and what do you anticipate will be the biggest challenge.
I know that because there isn't a CBA right maybe
the roster right now, like not knowing all these uncertainty
around that maybe be a challenge. But from your perspective,
(29:24):
what do you think will be the biggest challenge and
what excites you?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Yeah, I think the biggest challenge. But what excites me
is free agency. It's just obviously getting in front of
these players and you know, selling them on our vision,
but getting to know us. You know, obviously, I think
I have a great reputation in this league, but I
don't know all the players personally, so it's like just
getting to know them at on a different level and
(29:49):
the connections there and how best that you know, we
can see them wearing tempo colors. And it's a challenge,
but that's also exciting too. I'm really excited about that process,
and because starting from the beginning or we're building out
a whole team, you know. Obviously the expansion draft too,
but I think the free agency in particular this year
because obviously with the CBA in place, you talked about
(30:11):
all the free agents that are out there, but making
sure we're very intentional about Obviously we need talent, but
we want the right people that fits the culture. You
know that we can play at the highest level, but
also you know, play for future generations as well. There's
a responsibility you know obviously what we want, what the
kind of product we want to put out in the four.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
Coach Sandy, I want to thank you so much for
joining us this week on In Case You missed It.
We're definitely gonna miss you in New York. I mean,
who else is going to give us week Australian treats
at practice. We're certainly going to miss you in New
York City. But I'm wishing you all of the best
in Toronto. Hope that can get up there from New
(30:51):
York to come to a game or a few. But yeah,
thank you so much for coming on In Case you
missed it this week.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah no, thanks for having me again. And you're definite
you need to come up. It's just a short flaught.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Look, coach is trying to recruit me to Toronto, y'all.
Thank you so much, Sandy. That's gonna do it for
this edition of In Case You Missed It with Christina
Williams here on Iheartwomen's Sports Network, and I just want
to thank Coach Sandy Acon for coming through. Wishing you
all the best in Toronto and in case you missed again.
This is actually the last show on the iHeart Women's
(31:24):
Sports Network slate, but the show will continue. I want
to acknowledge some people who behind the scenes have had
a hand and making the show happen. Shout out to Jesse,
will Laura, Tari, Buffy, Mike, Peter, Nikki, Jonathan, JS three
Mark all of the people who have had a hand
(31:46):
and making the show happen week to week. Truly appreciate you, guys.
Don't forget to Still subscribe to the podcast and rate
and review below, and we'll be back for phase two
of the show shortly in case you missed it. With
Christina Williams is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership
(32:07):
with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us
on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts.
Host
Khristina Williams
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.