Caitlin Clark Draws Reality Check From Sandy Brondello Amid WNBA Schedule Release

The WNBA is still navigating tense CBA negotiations with the WNBPA. But even after months of talks with no progress, the league has finally shifted the attention back to basketball by officially unveiling its 2026 schedule. And Caitlin Clark is already making the headlines. The opening slate of this season is set to feature a marquee showdown between Clark and fellow star Paige Bueckers. Yet while that matchup has quickly become the talk of the town, it isn’t the only Clark-related date drawing attention.

With the aim of expanding the WNBA’s footprint, this season will also feature two new franchises, the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. So, even with the expansion bringing fresh faces and new storylines into the league, Clark’s influence is already shaping how the rest of the teams view the schedule.

Advertisement

As soon as the timetable was released, the Tempo’s newly appointed head coach, Sandy Brondello, wasted no time in identifying the games she’s circling on the calendar. Brondello named three games she’s most excited to experience with her new team.

“Number one – Phoenix for obvious reasons. That is my off-season base,” she said. “My children will be there. All my friends are there, I coached there. I won a championship there for eight years, so it’s always a fun city to visit and play basketball. (Second) New York. That was where I coached before I came to Tempo, and I obviously just wanted to see the fans again. It’s really a great Arena to play in and see the former players that I coached there. That will be special.”

While both of those games are rooted in personal history, the third one she is excited for stems from just how much Caitlin Clark has impacted the league.

“And then I have Indiana because everyone loves to play against Caitlin Clark, and I think they’ve got such a big following in this league, too. So you know our players go into a very loud Arena. I think that will be fun,” she further added.