The New York Liberty have decided not to retain head coach Chris DeMarco after a single season. The Liberty entered the playoffs as the eighth and final seed and began the postseason strongly by sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round. However, the preseason title favorites were then swept by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals.
This marks the third head coach in three seasons for the 2024 WNBA champions. The Liberty lost in the first round in 2025 and subsequently parted ways with Sandy Brondello, who led the franchise to its first championship and back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances.
DeMarco, a longtime Golden State Warriors assistant with no major head-coaching experience and little familiarity with the WNBA, faced a steep learning curve. He often appeared flustered during an inconsistent regular season complicated by multiple injuries and absences. His inexperience was spotlighted in Game 2 of the semifinals against the Dream when he failed to use a reset timeout with 4.3 seconds remaining and the team down by three points. After the game, Breanna Stewart claimed referees told her they didn't have a reset timeout, a claim the referees refuted. DeMarco took little responsibility, stating "it is what it is."
Player support for DeMarco was minimal. Sabrina Ionescu said his future was "not our decision," Jonquel Jones added, "That's not our say. our job is to go out there and play good basketball," and Stewart noted, "I don't think we were consistent throughout the season... this is not like cramming for a test. You got to be ready and ready to go since the jump."
Despite the coaching turnover, the Liberty job is considered the best in the league. The only other vacancy is the Los Angeles Sparks, who fired Lynne Roberts in September after two seasons. The Sparks haven't made the playoffs or had a winning season since 2020, lost All-Stars Kelsey Plum (traded to Phoenix) and Nneka Ogwumike (retired), and the franchise is up for sale. In contrast, the Liberty have invested owners Clara Wu and Joseph Tsai, general manager Jonathan Kolb, and a championship-contending roster under contract.
Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones are signed for two more years, while Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are under contract for next season. Sabally's health remains a question after she missed the second half of the season with her second concussion in 10 months. Stewart had a phenomenal season averaging 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks, earning first-team All-WNBA honors and finishing fifth in MVP voting. Jones was named an All-Star and earned All-Star MVP. The Liberty also won the Commissioner's Cup this season. The expectation is immediate winning, with little patience for anything less.
