New York Liberty fire coach Chris DeMarco after one season
The New York Liberty dismissed head coach Chris DeMarco after just one turbulent season that ended in a playoff semifinal sweep by the Atlanta Dream.
- Headline: New York Liberty fire coach Chris DeMarco after one season
- Dispatch Summary: The New York Liberty dismissed head coach Chris DeMarco after just one turbulent season that ended in a playoff semifinal sweep by the Atlanta Dream.
- Verification: Corroborated across independent reporting outlets with primary sources and real-time wire transmissions.
The New York Liberty will search for their third coach in three years after dismissing head coach Chris DeMarco on Tuesday following a single turbulent season in Brooklyn.
General manager Jonathan Kolb moved on from the first-time WNBA head coach after a campaign that ended with a playoff semifinal sweep by the Atlanta Dream. The abrupt departure leaves the franchise looking for its fourth head coach hire under Kolb since 2019, following the September 2025 firing of Sandy Brondello just one year after a franchise-first championship.
Why the partnership fell apart so quickly
DeMarco arrived in Brooklyn after spending over a decade on staff with the Golden State Warriors, bringing an NBA pedigree but no prior background in women’s basketball. He acknowledged a learning curve and promised to overhaul the offense while reinvigorating the defense. Instead, the Liberty experienced growing pains that included a 2-8 stretch during the middle of the season.
Player availability complicated matters. Sabrina Ionescu and guard Leonie Fiebich missed significant time, while Satou Sabally was limited to just 13 games before being ruled out for the season. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton also fell out of the rotation and was waived four days after the trade deadline.
DeMarco's inexperience showed in his management of late-game situations, culminating in a timeout snafu during an overtime loss to Atlanta in Game 2 of the semifinals. Although the team captured the Commissioner's Cup, the regular season ended with a 26-18 record, leaving them with the No. 8 and final seed in the playoffs.
How the stars and management responded
Following the season-ending Game 3 loss to the Dream, DeMarco stated without hesitation that he expected to return in 2027. His players, however, declined to offer ringing endorsements. That marked a sharp contrast from the previous autumn, when the roster went to bat for Brondello before her dismissal.
I don’t know what’s going to happen,
Sabrina Ionescu said. Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and giving us a chance, and we just fell short.
Those decisions aren’t ours,
Breanna Stewart added. I think my focus and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.
In late April, Kolb expressed a willingness to be patient with the process of hiring a first-time coach. Firing DeMarco after only one year stands as an admission that Kolb got the hiring wrong, particularly after he declared he had to nail the replacement for Brondello.
What happened on the court
Despite limping into the postseason as the eighth seed, the Liberty authored a surprise in the opening round by sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in a best-of-three series. That momentum vanished in the semifinals against the No. 4 seed Atlanta Dream, who swept New York 3-0.
The swift exit exposed the gap between a roster bearing internal and external championship expectations and the on-court product. While the team finished the regular season with a 26-18 record — one win fewer than they had a year ago — the manner of the playoff exit sealed the outcome.
What comes next for the franchise
Kolb now faces another high-stakes coaching search in an offseason that could feature sweeping changes for a stacked roster. Potential candidates mentioned include Indiana Fever assistant Briann January, Duke head coach Kara Lawson, and Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding.
DeMarco is the second current head coach opening of the WNBA offseason, joining the Los Angeles Sparks, who are also on the market after moving on from Lynne Roberts.
Firing a coach after one season protects management from compounding an initial mistake, but another reset puts immense pressure on Kolb to find a leader who can immediately bridge the gap between star talent and championship execution.
