After firing rookie head coach Chris Koclanes, the Dallas Wings are looking for a new coach to lead the Paige-Bueckers era. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Wings “are said to be looking exclusively at candidates with previous head coaching experience.” That means there is one obvious candidate for the Wings’ head coaching position: Sandy Brondello.
However, the Wings likely won’t be the only team looking for a proven coach with a championship pedigree this offseason. The Seattle Storm also parted ways with their head coach Noelle Quinn, and, if they want to emerge as a contender, they must hire a championship-level coach. With rookie sensation Dominique Malonga and several All-Star veterans, Seattle would make an enticing destination for Brondello—maybe even more interesting than Dallas—if the organization is interested.
Hiring Brondello would make a lot of sense for the Wings
Brondello didn’t have her contract in New York renewed after the Liberty flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. The Wings fired Koclanes shortly after Brondello became available, causing fans to speculate that they were eyeing her to coach Paige Bueckers, their 2026 lottery pick, and whoever the front office decides to put around those two.
Fischer’s latest scoop on the WNBA coaching carousel hinted at the same speculation. “And that has led various league sources to point to Brondello as a contender to be the next head coach for Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers,” Fischer wrote for The Stein Line.
Brondello would be a good fit for the Wings in many ways. Most importantly, Dallas hopes to build a competitive roster around Bueckers soon and will need an experienced and proven coach to lead that team. Brondello just won a WNBA championship in 2024. Before that, she also led the Phoenix Mercury to a title in 2014—her first season with the team. Bueckers, who entered the WNBA used to playing for a championship coach, would surely appreciate someone with Brondello’s resume. Hiring a more proven coach should also help the Wings attract some talent in free agency.
Seattle may be a more interesting destination for Brondello
Sandy Brondello is a championship coach. When she coached the Mercury, her team never missed the playoffs in eight years. Phoenix went to the finals twice over that stretch, winning one championship and losing to the Sky in four games in 2021. She found a similar level of success with the Liberty, leading the team to four consecutive playoff appearances and two trips to the finals.
So, the question is, would a coach with that kind of resume, who is used to winning at the highest level, even be interested in coaching a rebuilding team? On one hand, the idea of coaching a generational talent like Bueckers has a certain appeal. On the other hand, if the Storm retain their veteran core—GM Talisa Rhea hinted in an interview with ESPN that this is something she would like to get done—and look to be competitive in the next season, it is hard to imagine that Brondello would choose a rebuilding team over the chance to lead another deep playoff run.