The New York Liberty have parted ways with head coach Chris DeMarco after one season, marking the franchise's third coaching change in three years.
DeMarco led the Liberty to the playoffs as the eighth seed, where they swept the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round before being swept by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals. The 2024 WNBA champions have now lost in the first round in 2025 and the semifinals in 2026 under different coaches.
DeMarco's tenure
DeMarco, a longtime Golden State Warriors assistant with no prior head-coaching experience, faced a steep learning curve. The team dealt with multiple injuries and absences during an inconsistent regular season. His inexperience was highlighted in Game 2 of the semifinals when he failed to call a reset timeout with 4.3 seconds remaining while trailing by three points. Postgame controversy erupted when Breanna Stewart claimed officials told her the team had no reset timeout, a claim the referees disputed. DeMarco took little responsibility, stating "it is what it is."
Player reactions
After the sweep, DeMarco expressed expectation to return for 2027 but received little public support from his stars. Sabrina Ionescu said his future was "not our decision," Jonquel Jones added "that's not our say," and Stewart was similarly evasive about his performance.
Why the Liberty job remains attractive
Despite the coaching carousel, the Liberty are considered the league's best vacancy. Ownership under Clara Wu and Joseph Tsai is among the most invested, general manager Jonathan Kolb is proven, and a championship-contending core remains under contract. Stewart, Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones are signed for two more years; Satou Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are under contract for next season. Stewart earned first-team All-WNBA honors averaging 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks, finishing fifth in MVP voting. Jones was an All-Star and All-Star MVP. The Liberty also won the Commissioner's Cup this season.
The only other current head-coaching vacancy is the Los Angeles Sparks, a franchise up for sale that hasn't made the playoffs since 2020. The Liberty offer an immediate chance to win, but the expectation is championship or bust with little patience for anything less.
