After a strong 2024 season, few expected Sandy Brondello to be searching for a new job. But when the New York Liberty called for “evolution and innovation,” the winningest coach in franchise history moved on. She quickly drew interest from Toronto, Dallas, and Seattle, ultimately choosing the Toronto Tempo, where she’ll build a new roster and aim to challenge the league’s top players.

Brondello will bring all of her experience with Liberty and Mercury, where she has won a title each (2014 Mercury and 2024 Liberty). She has never fallen short of reaching the playoffs. As she embarks on her new job, Brondello didn’t hold back, revealing the two players who gave her the toughest challenge on the road to success. A’ja Wilson, the 4-time MVP, and the biggest star, Caitlin Clark.

“A’ja, I think A’ja is really hard to defend. She needs a crowd around her. We were just lucky that they had some non-shooters around it. Hopefully, they’re having a bad night. She was just hard,” Brondello said on ‘Bird’s Eye View’ With Sue Bird.

The four-time MVP has probably been the best player in the world for a few years now. Wilson gave Brondello a lot of headaches en route to her 2024 title. Facing her in the semifinals, Wilson averaged 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds through the 5 match series. However, like Brondello mentioned, they limited the Aces’ perimeter twice in four games to 28.0% and 23%, respectively.

They hadn’t been able to do the same at the 2023 finals, where the Aces took the W. This was not the only factor for Brondello, but an important one nonetheless. From a veteran to a young phenom, Brondello revealed the second player who is a headache to play against. “I think Caitlin Clark is really hard to guard when she’s healthy, just her ability. She gave us a lot of handful this year, and she can shoot it from way out, but she can pass it. And I think she’s been a tough one,” Brondello said. 

Clark was a menace to Brondello earlier this season. She totaled 32 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds in a spectacular return from a left quad injury, ending the Liberty’s 9-0 opening record. Of the 32, Clark’s 25 came in the first half in just 13 minutes! The Indiana Fever won with an overwhelming margin of 102-88, forcing even LeBron James to tweet, “The CC EFFECT!! WELCOME BACK! You were missed!”

Even in the earlier loss, which came down to a last-second steal from Natasha Cloud, Clark finished with 18 points and 10 assists. It further emphasizes how good Clark is that a coach like Brondello, who has played against the likes of Napheesa Collier, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Mitchell, and other standout stars, chose Clark. However, will that remain the same after she comes back from injury next season?

Can Caitlin Clark Be ‘Unguardable’ On Her 2026 Return?

While Clark had memorable performances in 2025, she was still limited to just 13 games. That was due to an array of lower-body injuries: left quad, left groin, right groin, and left ankle, to top it off. She never played more than five consecutive games. When she was on the floor, she rarely looked like her usual self. Her three-point percentage touched 27.9%. Yes, she was practically playing on one leg for a few games, but can we expect a drop in her outside shooting on her return?

“We got decision-making in live action. We’ve got staying on balance, we’ve got changing direction. We’ve got explosiveness. All of these things, and, oh, by the way, to be at 90 to 100 percent instead of 50 to 60 to 70 percent. It will take some time, but we do have the opportunity right now to begin to lay that foundation,” Stephanie White said on the steps of recovery for Caitlin Clark. 

One of the things that makes Clark so hard to contain is her ability to take shots from practically anywhere on the court.

However, coupled with the heavy usage of Clark, that puts her body under a lot of stress. That could have contributed to her injury woes in 2025. She would be careful not to repeat that on her return. A way to ensure Clark’s effectiveness is to keep her outside shooting volume and have a second on-ball floor general to bring the ball on the court. 

Kelsey Mitchell played as a temporary point guard this season, and Aliyah Boston’s creative ability improved. Instead, you can have Caitlin Clark go the Steph Curry route and imbibe his off-ball movements to a certain extent. Clark will still be the premier point guard orchestrating the play. But not the 28.7% usage rate Clark had from 2025 to 26.2% from 2024.