There are training camps, and then there are Brondello training camps.
That is to say, every training camp is fraught with conditioning drills, implementing offensive and defensive sets and developing chemistry on the fly.
But a Sandy Brondello training camp is…different.
“It’s intense,” Monique Currie said. “There’s a lot of running but the attention to detail is really precise.”
Sandy Brondello’s style of play leads to exciting basketball. However, if you’re not in good shape, training camp can be a hellish week.
“You have to make sure that you’re well-hydrated, especially in Phoenix,” Mistie Bass emphatically said. “You don’t want to cramp. Eating healthy and getting rid of bad habits helps. You have to come in here in game-shape so you know you’ve done everything you can do to prepare.”
Veterans like Mistie Bass, Candice Dupree and DeWanna Bonner are currently in the middle of their second camp under Brondello, and the familiarity has eased their transition.
“It’s better this time because I know her system and know exactly what to expect,” said DeWanna Bonner with a wry smile. “The first one is pretty tough.”
Why, though? Bonner said that it’s the little details that Brondello wants the players to focus on such as setting screens at the precise angle and making shifts in your footwork.
“She makes us work really hard,” Candice Dupree said. “But we have fun. We knew coming in that I was going to have to take more of a veteran role in terms of leadership on this team. So far it’s been fun. We’ve gotten a lot of work in.”
For players new to both the Mercury and a Brondello training camp, there’s no denying it takes a few days to adjust.
“The intensity level is high the entire time,” Leilani Mitchell said. “There’s a lot of new information. We’ve worked a lot on our defense and building upon that as our foundation.”
“It’s hard work, but it’s a fun way to play basketball.”