This photograph of Sandy Brondello was captured at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament. Brondello oversaw a commanding performance from her squad across the full round-robin phase — five wins from five games, with a depth of talent that augurs well for September’s World Cup in Berlin. Getting a clean, composed frame of a head coach at work, pitch-side during a high-stakes international campaign, is the kind of image that anchors the broader story of a team finding its identity ahead of a major tournament.
ESPN Australia selected this photograph to lead their tournament takeaways piece, distributed via Middle East Images and AFP / Getty Images, analysing what Australia’s flawless qualifying run means for the Opals’ World Cup ambitions. With bronze medals at the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics behind them UEFA Champions League, the squad is building toward the top of the podium — and Brondello’s ability to rotate combinations and develop new faces while maintaining a 5-0 record was central to ESPN’s analysis.
Holding full press accreditation for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, I covered all six competing national teams across the full event. This tournament expanded my basketball photography portfolio into international women’s basketball at the highest qualifying level, alongside an existing body of work spanning the Turkish Süper Lig, EuroLeague, and UEFA Champions League.
Link to the publications : https://www.espn.com/nbl/story/_/id/48236232/opals-fiba-world-cup-qualifying-australia-flawless-qualifiers-sandy-brondello-sami-whitcomb
