Olaf Lange Takes on Head Coach Role for German Women’s National Team
Olaf Lange, previously an assistant coach with Liberty, has landed a new position, while his wife, Sandy Brondello, the former coach of New York, is still searching for her next opportunity.
The German Basketball Federation announced on Wednesday that Lange will be the head coach for the German women’s national team. This appointment means he’ll be working with familiar faces, 2024 WNBA champions Leonie Fievich and Nyara Sabally.
Interestingly, this could set the stage for a face-off at next year’s world championships, as Lange and Brondello, who oversees the Australian Opals, might end up coaching against each other.
There’s some ambiguity around Lange’s future in the WNBA. It’s fairly common for national team coaches to juggle other roles, including positions in the WNBA.
On the other hand, Brondello, who is still figuring out her next move after leaving Liberty last month, has attracted interest from all four WNBA teams currently seeking head coaches—Seattle Storm, Dallas Wings, Portland Fire, and Toronto Tempo.
Reports suggest she’s in the running for the Toronto position.
Meanwhile, Portland is anticipated to announce Cavaliers assistant coach Alex Salama as their inaugural head coach soon. This comes after an employee of the Fire inadvertently revealed the information on a now-deleted LinkedIn post.
Lange, originally from Berlin, boasts decades of coaching experience. This marks his second tenure with the German women’s national team, having previously held the role from 2001 to 2003.
He joined Brondello in New York in 2022, following their collaboration during the 2021 WNBA Finals when he was with the Sky and she was coaching the Mercury. Lange has also been part of the Opals’ coaching staff since 2019.
Brondello, a highly regarded figure in WNBA coaching, has extensive experience. She clinched her first head coaching role with the Phoenix Mercury after serving as an assistant with the San Antonio Stars and Los Angeles Sparks.
During her eight years in Phoenix, she took the Mercury to two WNBA Finals and claimed victory in 2014.
She also led Liberty to consecutive WNBA Finals in 2023 and 2024, securing the franchise’s first professional basketball championship in many years.
However, Liberty’s attempt to defend their title was hindered by injuries, culminating in a disappointing fifth-place finish with a record of 27 wins and 17 losses and an early playoff exit.
In light of this situation, General Manager Jonathan Kolb deemed a change necessary, and the search for Liberty’s new head coach continues.
