Sandy Brondello (Phoenix Mercury)
Overall Record: 117-87 (204 games coached)
Record in Phoenix: 103-67 (170 games coached)
In her sixth year in Phoenix and seventh year as head coach in the WNBA overall, Sandy Brondello will have a loaded roster to help get her closer to the top 10 in both games coached and wins.
In 2014 she coached the Mercury to a record 29 wins in the regular season, a mark that was also good for the fourth-best win percentage (85.3%) in the league’s history. With a consistent core throughout her time there, she has had just one losing season (2016) in Phoenix and has had three 20-win seasons.
Last season she coached her 200th game overall, but toward the end of this year she’ll coach her 200th game as the Phoenix head coach. Game 30 for the Mercury is on August 30 in Atlanta. She would have to get an unprecedented 33 wins to get to 150 career wins by season’s end, so that is most likely still a summer away.
As far as the leader boards go, she can make a couple moves up in terms of games played, passing John Whisenant (207) and Marynell Meadors (230) for the rights to 13th place. As far as wins go, entering the season with 117 to her name, she’ll likely pass Whisenant (119), Fred Williams (131), and Richie Adubato (134). Depending how the season shapes up in Indiana, she could also overtake the next coach in wins, so let’s move on to her.