Even though there are no updates on the status of negotiations between the WNBA and the players since the two sides agreed to a moratorium on free agency earlier in the week, there is still movement in the WNBA, just on the coaching side.
The Toronto Tempo announced Wednesday that they have added two new coaches to new head coach Sandy Brondello’s staff as assistants. Ciara Carl and Brian Lankton will join Toronto’s first coaching staff as the expansion franchise prepares to launch in the 2026 WNBA season.
Both coaches appear to have connections to Brondello and Tempo general manager Monica Wright Rogers. Lankton comes to Toronto from New York, where he most recently served as player development coach and video coordinator for the Liberty. He also has experience as a Video Coordinator in Indiana in the G League, as well as in Sacramento (with the NBA Kings), and with Team USA Basketball.
Ciara Carl comes to Toronto via the Phoenix Mercury, where she has served as Senior Video Coordinator/Assistant Coach since 2023. She also has experience at the collegiate level, having coached at places such as the University of North Texas, San Diego State and Metropolitan State University of Denver.
It appears that both Lankton and Carl will be promoted from their roles from video coordinators to full-fledged assistant coaches. It’s a great opportunity to start a new role on a team, on a new expansion team. However, they will also be under the mentorship of Brondello, a two-time WNBA champion, as head coach.
While it’s not official yet, there is talk that Olaf Lange (her husband) will complete Brondello’s staff of assistants. Lange, who serves as head coach of the Germany women’s national team, has a long coaching resume; most recently as an assistant coach on Brondello’s Liberty staff, and before that as an assistant with the Chicago Sky.
While Tempo’s coaching situation seems to be settling down, they still don’t have players to coach. The WNBA’s ongoing contract dispute means they haven’t been able to hold an expansion draft for Tempo and Portland Fire yet, but they are still making moves where they can to prepare for the time when they can build their roster.