image via Wikipedia
The New York Liberty are making another coaching change.
According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, the Liberty will not retain head coach Chris DeMarco after just one season leading the franchise.
The decision comes less than a year after New York hired DeMarco, a longtime Golden State Warriors assistant coach who was part of four NBA championship teams.
The move makes the Liberty one of the WNBA’s biggest coaching vacancies heading into the 2027 season.
A disappointing ending to the 2026 season
DeMarco’s first season in New York was filled with challenges, including injuries, lineup changes and questions about the team’s identity.
The Liberty finished the 2026 regular season with a 26-18 record, earning the No. 8 and final playoff seed in the postseason.
New York showed some resilience in the playoffs, sweeping the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round. However, its postseason run ended with a 3-0 semifinal sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Dream.
Star players didn’t offer a vote of confidence
Following the playoff elimination, DeMarco expressed confidence that he would return for the 2027 season.
However, the Liberty’s three biggest stars — Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones — stopped short of publicly endorsing his return.
Ionescu said she was thankful for DeMarco’s contributions but acknowledged that his future was not the players’ decision.
Stewart also indicated that those decisions belonged to the organization.
Those comments raised questions about DeMarco’s job security. Now, New York has decided to move in another direction.
What’s next for the Liberty?
This will be New York’s third head coach in three years and its fourth coaching hire under general manager Jonathan Kolb.
The Liberty previously moved on from Sandy Brondello in September 2025, despite her leading the franchise to its first WNBA championship in 2024.
New York will now begin another coaching search with championship expectations and a roster built around Stewart, Ionescu and Jones.
The Liberty aren’t the only team searching for a new leader. The Los Angeles Sparks also have a coaching vacancy after parting ways with Lynne Roberts.
