Winning pedigree. That’s what defines NY Liberty’s head coach Sandy Brondello. Hired in January 2022, with one of the highest salaries for a head coach in the league, Brondello has quickly established herself as one of the best head coaches in the WNBA. The Australian native has led the Liberty to the playoffs three times in a row, ever since her appointment, true to the flowers she has received. 

A true savant of the game, Brondello was named the 2014 WNBA Head Coach of the Year and remains one of the league’s premier coaches. So, how much is one of the league’s top earning today? 

A strong start for Brondello

Sandy Brondello’s coaching style emphasizes the saying, “Defenses win championships,” and enables her teams to thrive under pressure. Brondello’s career as a coach began as an assistant coach for San Antonio Silver Stars after years of playing in Australia. She was promoted to the head coach for the same franchise in 2010. According to sportysalaries, Brondello earned $250,000 in her first tenure. She would find it increased to $300,000, plus a $200,000 bonus when she became the head coach of the Phoenix Mercury in 2014. 

That year, she led the team to an incredible 29-5 record, earning her a WNBA Coach of the Year award. She would lead them to every other playoff henceforth. So by 2018-2021, her annual salary had risen to $400,000. Her last year there, in 2021, the team reached its second finals under her. But once again, they failed to bring the title home. Months after the season, in December 2021, Mercury announced that they wouldn’t be renewing her contract. 

“She oversaw our program with the utmost integrity, and I’m sincerely grateful for her partnership and friendship,” general manager Jim Pitman said following Brondello’s 150-108 record in eight seasons. The New York Liberty really saw the opportunity there.

Sandy Brondello with Liberty and her estimated net worth

In January 2022, the New York Liberty had snatched Sandy Brondello for an annual salary of $500,000 making her one of the highest-paid coaches in the WNBA. “When we met with Sandy in New York, we knew she would bring not only her wealth of experience but also her passion for elevating our star players and developing our young core,” Liberty owners Clara Wu Tsai and Joe Tsai said. 

This would bring Brondello’s estimated net worth to be around $3 million.

While Brondello is one of the top-paid coaches in the WNBA, she earns nowhere near what Nate Tibbetts makes. The head coach of the Phoenix Mercury reported a salary of over $1 million, making him the highest-paid head coach in the WNBA. In fact, the LV Aces Head Coach, Becky Hammon draws a similar salary of $1 million annually.

Brondello’s stellar career and her position among the top-earning coaches showcase her value in the WNBA, where she continues to lead teams to success.

After helping the team reach the Finals for the first time in two decades last year, 2024 is only looking more promising for the team. Already securing a one-up over the Aces in the semifinals with 2-0, the championship seems to be within the Liberty’s reach. Can Brondello be the answer for the New York franchise?