| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Women's Basketball | ||
| Competitor for Australia | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1996 Atlanta | National team |
| Silver | 2000 Sydney | National team |
| Silver | 2004 Athens | National team |
Sandra ("Sandy") Anne Brondello (born 20 August 1968 in Mackay, Queensland) is an Australian women's basketball player who played in Australia and the WNBA before retiring to become a coach, most recently with the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. The 1.70 m (5'7") Brondello is one of Australia's all-time best shooting guards. She played on Australia's "Opals" national team at four Summer Olympics, and won three medals (one bronze, two silvers). She attended the Australian Institute of Sport in 1986-1987.
Brondello's career began playing in Australia's Women's National Basketball League, where she was named the Australian Basketball Player of the Year in 1992. She played for the Australian National Team for 17 years, including the 1988, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.
Brondello started her WNBA career in 1998 by being selected in the fourth round (34th overall) by the Detroit Shock, becoming an All-Star in the first WNBA All-Star Game in 1999. She was selected by the Indiana Fever in late 1999's expansion draft, but never played a game for them, being traded to the Miami Sol along with a first-round pick for Stephanie McCarty. She signed as a free agent with the Seattle Storm in 2003, joining fellow Opals Lauren Jackson and Tully Bevilaqua. Brondello was one of the top three-point shooters in league history, her .410 percentage ranking fourth all-time.
Brondello chose not to play in the WNBA in 2004 because of a commitment to the Australian Olympic basketball team, which finished with a silver medal for the second time. This was the last major event in which she played.
In 2005, Brondello was named an assistant coach of the San Antonio Silver Stars. She was promoted to head coach in February 2010.
Brondello and her husband, associate head coach Olaf Lange, were fired by the Silver Stars in September 2010. Brondello finished her only season as head coach with a 14-20 record, third best in the Western Conference. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Phoenix two games to none. General manager Dan Hughes regained the title of head coach in January 2011, returning to the dual role he held before promoting Brondello.
Brondello would become an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks for the 2011 season.
Famous quotes containing the word sandy:
“Let a man get up and say, “Behold, this is the truth,” and instantly I perceive a sandy cat filching a piece of fish in the background. Look, you have forgotten the cat, I say.”
—Virginia Woolf (1882–1941)