WATCH TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS - episode 2 - with Megan Hustwaite and Sandy Brondello from 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday, January 14 via , or catch up via , or at the top of this article.
Brondello, a veteran of three Olympics as a player with the Opals between 1996 and 2004, took charge of the national team in 2017 and has since led the team to gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as well as a silver medal at the last Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Coaching success has followed Brondello’s incredible career on the court, which included two Olympic silver and one bronze medal as well as WNBA All-Star selection.
The former shooting guard made the switch to coaching after she called time on her playing career in 2004 and found great success on the sidelines coaching WNBA side Phoenix Mercury to a league title in 2014 in only her second season with the side.
Queensland born Brondello remains in charge of the Mercury and balances her time between her WNBA and national team duties.
Back in Australia to helm an Opals training camp on the Gold Coast as part of their preparations for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Brondello said she is determined to help Australia’s current crop of players achieve the gold medal which has eluded Aussie basketball for so long.
“Leading Australia into an Olympics as coach means a lot to me if I’m being quite honest,” Brondello said.
“I took a lot of pride in playing for the Opals and it was some of the best experiences in my career, but to now coach them at the games is an incredible honour.
“Not everyone gets that opportunity and that is something which isn’t lost on me. Hopefully, we can come away with a medal.
The Opals have an impressive record at the Olympics claiming a medal at five of the past six games including three straight silver medals in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Despite their success, Australia has not been able to break the USA’s stranglehold on the gold medal with the Americans claiming the top prize in all but one Olympic tournament since 1984.
Brondello’s experience as a player means she knows how big it would be if Australia were to reach the Olympic summit.
“If we can win a gold medal at Tokyo there would be no greater feeling as it’s something which hasn’t been done by an Australian team before,” she said
“These are the things which give you the tingles and motivate you to get better each time you step onto the court.
“It’s about coming together collectively and as a team delivering our best possible performance because that is what it takes to win Olympic gold.”
“This Australian team has great talent but now it is about putting all the pieces together and hopefully that will be enough.”
In the full interview with TAB Courtside 1v1 host Megan Hustwaite, Brondello talks about her experience coaching in the WNBA 'Wubble' and discusses why fans should pay close attention to Australia’s current crop of rising stars.
The interview is the latest episode of new SBS series - TAB Courtside 1v1, which gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape basketball in Australia.
Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly show - every Thursday at 7pm (AEDT) via - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.
SBS will again broadcast multiple regular season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand. Plus, every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will be LIVE, FREE and in HD via , with select games also live on SBS VICELAND
