The New York Liberty are officially on the hunt for their third head coach in three seasons after parting ways with Chris DeMarco following just one tumultuous year. This comes after the team, who were preseason title favorites, got swept out of the semifinals by the Atlanta Dream, creating a massive vacancy in the WNBA.
One Season. One Sweeping Failure.
Let’s be real, this wasn’t exactly a shocker for anyone watching the Liberty this season. DeMarco was a surprising hire from the jump. The guy was a longtime assistant with the Golden State Warriors, but had zero major head-coaching experience and, by his own admission, barely knew the WNBA or the Liberty franchise. Talk about a steep learning curve! He often looked totally flustered during their inconsistent regular season. And yeah, the Liberty battled some injuries and absences, but when the pressure hit in the playoffs, DeMarco’s inexperience truly took center stage.
The moment that really sealed his fate? Game 2 of the semifinals against the Dream. Down by three with 4.3 seconds on the clock, DeMarco failed to use a critical reset timeout. Chaos ensued, with Breanna Stewart claiming the refs told her they didn’t have one, and the refs saying, “Nope, that’s not what happened.” Through all the finger-pointing, DeMarco’s response in the post-Game 2 presser was, frankly, infuriating: he simply backed Stewart’s account and shrugged it off with, “it is what it is.” That’s it? No accountability? Seriously?
Players Didn’t Exactly Go To Bat For Their Coach
You know it’s bad when your players won’t even publicly support you. After the sweep, DeMarco was apparently expecting to be back for the 2027 season. But when reporters asked the team about his future, the responses were ice cold. Sabrina Ionescu kept it blunt, saying DeMarco’s future was “not our decision.” Jonquel Jones echoed that, adding, “That’s not our say. our job is to go out there and play good basketball.” Even Breanna Stewart, usually a vocal leader, was evasive. When pressed about DeMarco, she simply said, “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.” When your star players are basically saying you didn’t have them ready, well, the writing’s on the wall, isn’t it?
The Liberty did make the playoffs as the eighth seed, sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round, but that hot start quickly evaporated. Remember, this team was WNBA champions in 2024 under Sandy Brondello, who then got shown the door after losing in the first round in 2025. This franchise has talent, but man, they’ve got some serious turnover in the coaching ranks.
So, what’s next? This job is easily the best opening in the WNBA right now, especially with coaching vacancies being so rare. Despite the recent chaos, the Liberty are a phenomenal opportunity for the right leader. Someone needs to step in, take responsibility, and actually get this star-studded team to play consistently from day one. Good luck to the next coach, they’re going to need it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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