From 5 consecutive Olympic podium finishes to 2 straight early exits, the Australian Women’s National Team is looking to get back on track. While there are multiple WNBA stars on the roster for the Paris Olympics, Lauren Jackson coming out of retirement is what gave them a big boost ahead of the event. Add to that the experience of their head coach, Sandy Brondello, who also serves as the head coach of last WNBA season’s finalists, the New York Liberty, and anything less than a medal will feel like a disappointment.

Well, it’s not only Brondello who’s motivated to guide the Opals to victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics. As soon as the dual Flyers championship coach and the Opals assistant coach, Cheryl Chambers, learned about her hectic Opals schedule, she immediately stepped down from her head coach position. “I won’t be returning to the Southside Flyers as head coach next season. This decision is mainly due to the hectic Opals schedule leading into the Olympics in July,” she said. It feels like the Opals are blessed, right? Read on to learn more about the Australian team’s two extraordinary coaches.

Sandy Brondello’s journey started as a star player

For Brondello, her basketball journey started when she was just 9 years old. Initially, she played on a grass court made by her father in their backyard. With all the love her father poured into building it, Brondello’s court was just enough. Eventually, it also paved the way to help her make it to the Australian Women’s National Basketball League.

After leading ten remarkable seasons there, she finally kicked off her WNBA career after being drafted by the Detroit Shock as the 1998 34th overall pick. Fortunately enough, she became part of the first WNBA All-Star game in 1999. However, her WNBA journey soon took a downturn. It all started when she joined the Indiana Fever as their pick in the 1999 expansion draft.

She never really got a chance to be on the court with the team. But the worst was yet to come. In 2002, she suffered a foot injury during the offseason, which cost her the entire season. But as they say, “All’s well that ends well.” Brondello signed as a free agent with the Seattle Storm the following year to compete alongside her fellow Australians Lauren Jackson and Tully Bevilaqua. With their support, she ended the season as one of the top three shooters in the league’s history. As a player, she was outstanding. So, how did she transition into coaching?

Brondello’s on-court excellence isn’t just limited to the WNBA and WNBL. She was a frequent presence on the Australian National Team. She first joined the roster at the age of 18 and remained there for the next 17 years. During her tenure, she earned two bronze medals in World Championships and three Olympic medals (one bronze and two silver).

When her career was at its peak, she made a major transition. After the conclusion of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she transitioned into coaching. Initially, she took up the role of an assistant coach for the San Antonio Silver Stars in 2005. Thanks to her commitment, she witnessed her first promotion to head coach after five years.

A favorable transition from court to coach for Sandy Brondello

However, she was fired by the team in 2010, along with her husband Olaf Lange, who was the associate head coach at the time. Not slowing down her rapid coaching career, she found a place as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks. After staying there for almost two seasons, she made another switch. This time, she ended up with the Phoenix Mercury, replacing Russ Pennell. It seems she was fascinated by former Opals teammate Penny Taylor on the team.

Since her team recorded 29 wins and 5 losses, she was named Coach of the Year. She stayed with them for the next five years, before moving to the New York Liberty in 2022. Between this, the right opportunity knocked on her door: the appointment as Opals’ head coach in 2017. Since then, she has held the position of head coach for the Australian Opals. She led the team to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they reached the Quarters. But she’s not alone.

When Sandy Brondello acquired her position with the Opals, Cheryl Chambers joined her as an assistant coach. For Chambers, guiding the Australian Opals started quite early. The first time she filled the vacancy was in 2005. After serving there for two years, she led the Australian Gems, and finally, she landed with the Australian Opals again in 2017. But her journey wasn’t smooth.

Chambers has been coaching for the last 24 years. Even before taking up a coaching career, she had been a professional player. Before her retirement, she had a record of 261 games in the WNBL. Sure enough, she has everything required to guide the Opals to their Olympic medal in Paris.

To accomplish this ultimate goal, there’s only one obstacle: Team USA. Until now, the Opals have never beaten the U.S. in the Olympics. But Brondello and Chambers are looking forward to changing that narrative.

Both coaches have frequently cited a podium finish as their goal, especially after their last Olympics’ failure. The goal seemed in danger after a stunning loss to Nigeria in the opening game, but the Opals know how to respond.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with NCAA Star Asia Avinger.