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Sandy Brondello named Australian Opals coach on road to 2020 Tokyo Olympics
New Australian Opals coach Sandy Brondello says the disappointment from Rio will only make the national team stronger as they begin their journey to the Tokyo Olympics.
Basketball Australia named Brondello as head coach on Tuesday with her two assistants to be appointed.
The 2014 WNBA championship winner with Phoenix Mercury will share the Opals role with her WNBA duties but will end her role as an assistant coach to husband Olaf Lange at Russian giant UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello will also take charge of the Opals.Credit:Getty Images
Brondello played 302 games for the Opals, third all-time, and won three Olympic medals before entering coaching where she has since become one of the best-known coaches in the game.
"Every time you lose it motivates you to come back stronger, that was the same in my playing and coaching career," Brondello told Fairfax Media from Russia on Tuesday.
"We have many great players so we just have to get back to playing hard, playing together and that will put us in a good place, you have to remember the rest of the world is catching up to us so we need the Opals to be there when it counts."
Brondello will start reaching out to players in the coming days as she prepares the path to Tokyo and the Opals will have their first camp under her guidance in Phoenix from May 3-11.
Sandy Brondello had a stellar career for the Opals, and played in three Olympics.Credit:ANDREW GORRIE
The Mercury and BA have worked well together in figuring out how they will share Brondello, but both the coach and the Opals' WNBA players such as Erin Phillips and Rachel Jarry won't be available for their first serious games when the FIBA Asia Women's Cup is hosted in India from July 19 to August 1.
The Opals need to finish in the top four of that event to qualify for the 2018 women's world championships, but one of Brondello's assistant coaches will lead a team of Australian and European based Opals to the tournament.
"It's not ideal but there is enough good players outside of the WNBA to put together a strong side," Brondello said.
"Having our camp in Phoenix will give us a chance to set down what we want for the players and the assistant coaches and then everyone can take that away with them and work on it."
Brondello admits the busy schedule of basketball and family commitments with her husband and two children gave her some pause in taking the Opals job but she couldn't turn down the chance to lead the national team.
"It took me a long time to decide if I would go for it," Brondello said.
"Not because of the job as I'm very proud of where I come from and passionate about the Opals program but because I didn't want to let anyone down.
"We may not be doing the role the same as in the past but Basketball Australia and Phoenix have been very good with this and I've been used to this as I have played all year round and then coached all year round for much of my life."
Opals centre Liz Cambage has been on a break from playing since the Rio Olympics and Brondello said her star centre had limitless potential in the years to come.
"Liz is a great player already but the sky is the limit for her," Brondello said.
"I can't wait to speak to her, can't wait to coach her and hopefully we can get her on court and involved as much as we can as she is a big part of what I have planned for the team."