The New York Liberty fired head coach Chris DeMarco after one season, ending his brief tenure with the WNBA franchise. New York announced the decision Tuesday, November 3, following a disappointing campaign that finished with a semifinal defeat against Atlanta.
DeMarco joined the Liberty in December 2025 after spending fourteen seasons with the Golden State Warriors as an assistant coach. He helped Golden State win four NBA championships, but entered New York without any previous experience coaching in the WNBA.
His first season produced a 26-18 regular-season record, leaving the Liberty eighth in the league standings entering postseason play overall. Despite that position, New York stunned top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first eighth seed to eliminate a number one seed.
That opening-round victory raised expectations, but the Atlanta Dream quickly ended the Liberty’s championship hopes with a three-game semifinal sweep. Atlanta swept New York in three games, exposing problems that troubled the team throughout its injury-disrupted regular season campaign recently.
One costly moment came during Game Two, when the Liberty failed to recognize they still had a reset timeout available. That confusion proved significant during overtime, as Breanna Stewart attempted a difficult shot instead of using the remaining timeout late.
New York also struggled with injuries, including Satou Sabally’s concussion, which limited the forward to just thirteen appearances during 2026. Sabrina Ionescu missed several games, while changing lineups made it difficult for DeMarco to establish consistent combinations throughout the season.
Stewart, Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones avoided giving firm public support for DeMarco after the team’s playoff elimination earlier this month. Stewart described the season as inconsistent, stressing that championship contenders must maintain strong performances throughout the entire regular campaign season.
The coaching change means general manager Jonathan Kolb must now find another leader for the franchise’s next championship push again. New York will search for its third head coach in three seasons, after choosing not to retain Sandy Brondello previously.
DeMarco’s departure creates another major offseason question as the Liberty attempt to return to title contention next WNBA season there.
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