New York Liberty fire head coach Chris DeMarco after one season
The franchise is seeking its third head coach in three seasons following a disappointing WNBA playoff exit.
The New York Liberty announced Tuesday that they have fired head coach Chris DeMarco after just one season at the helm. DeMarco, who joined the franchise in December following more than a decade as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, entered the WNBA with no prior experience in the league.
Under his guidance, the Liberty secured the eighth seed in the regular season with a 26-18 record. Despite a rough regular-season performance and various injuries, the team pulled off an impressive first-round playoff sweep against the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. However, their championship aspirations came to an abrupt end when they were swept by the Atlanta Dream in three games during the semifinals.
The turning point of the postseason struggles occurred in Game 2 of the series against Atlanta. Trailing by three late in overtime, the coaching staff failed to use a crucial reset timeout with 4.3 seconds remaining on the clock. Following the game, a mix-up regarding accountability emerged, with Breanna Stewart stating that referees informed them they lacked a timeout, a claim referees disputed, while DeMarco took minimal responsibility.
Player reactions after the elimination offered little endorsement for the coach's return. When asked about DeMarco, Stewart pointed to the team's inconsistency, stating, "I don't think we were consistent throughout the season. I think that we started to show some life and peak a little bit towards the end and in the playoffs. But this is not like cramming for a test. You got to be ready and ready to go since the jump."
Teammate Sabrina Ionescu noted that the decision regarding his future was "not our decision," adding praise for his positivity through the ups and downs. Jonquel Jones similarly remarked that determining the coach's fate was outside player jurisdiction.
General Manager Jonathan Kolb will now embark on his fourth coaching search since 2019, following the departure of Sandy Brondello after the 2025 season. Despite the high turnover, the Liberty position remains a premier job opening in the WNBA, boasting strong ownership, a proven general manager, and core talent including Stewart, Ionescu, and Jones under contract for future seasons.