Liberty Stars React as Chris DeMarco Will Not Return as Head Coach

I don’t know what’s going to happen, Sabrina Ionescu said when asked whether Chris DeMarco would return. The New York Liberty have since answered the question themselves: DeMarco will not be retained as head coach after one season, ESPN reported Tuesday, and the franchise is searching for its third coach in three years.

The decision caps a season that ended Friday with an 85-83 Game 3 loss to the Atlanta Dream, completing a 3-0 semifinal sweep. New York dropped the last two contests of the series by just five points combined, and could not solve Atlanta’s backcourt tandem of Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada, while Angel Reese announced herself as a dominant frontcourt presence in her maiden playoff run. New York finished the regular season 26-18 as the No. 8 seed, then pulled off the postseason’s biggest shock by sweeping the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx — the first No. 8 seed in league history to defeat a No. 1 seed in a playoff series. The run also included the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but the Liberty could not match a healthier Dream roster that pushed a faster pace.

No vote of confidence from the stars

Ionescu echoed the deflection — Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and giving us a chance, and we just fell short — while Breanna Stewart pointed to the result: Those decisions aren’t ours, she said. I think my focus and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.

Stewart went further on DeMarco’s system, saying the team was not consistent all season and peaked only late.

This is not cramming for a test. You gotta be ready to go and ready to go from the jump.

Coaching errors cost Liberty playoff chances

The postseason exposed the limits of a first-time WNBA head coach. In the closing moments of overtime in Game 2 against Atlanta, DeMarco failed to use the Liberty’s final reset timeout or stop play to clarify whether his team had one — a mistake that loomed over the series. By the end, the bench was nearly nonexistent: Marine Johannes saw just four minutes of action in the Game 3 defeat, and Rebecca Allen was a healthy scratch. DeMarco was under contract for next season; the terms of his buyout were not immediately known.

Player availability worked against them at times, as both Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich sat out extended stretches, Satou Sabally’s season ended after a June concussion limited her to 13 appearances, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was cut from the rotation and released four days past the trade deadline.

It is the second coaching change in two offseasons for general manager Jonathan Kolb, who moved on from Sandy Brondello in September 2025 after a first-round playoff exit — one year after Brondello led the franchise to its first WNBA title. When Brondello was dismissed, Kolb told reporters the organization needed to nail this hire. Brondello was the winningest coach in team history, with two 32-8 seasons, two consecutive Finals trips and a championship, and she had the public support of Stewart and Ionescu. That was not the case for DeMarco, who had promised to overhaul the team’s offense and reinvigorate the defense but went 2-8 during one midseason stretch. The firing also makes the Liberty the second team with a head-coaching opening this offseason, alongside the Los Angeles Sparks.

Kolb prioritizes NBA background in hiring

DeMarco, 41, arrived with 14 years as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and as head coach of the Bahamas men’s national team since 2019, but no WNBA head-coaching experience. Kolb had reportedly sought a candidate with NBA experience, such as Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon or Phoenix Mercury’s Nate Tibbetts. The Post named early candidates including Indiana Fever assistant Briann January, Duke head coach Kara Lawson and Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding.

The pressure is squarely on Kolb, now leading his fourth coaching search since 2019.

In late April, Kolb told reporters the team would be being patient with the process after hiring a first-time coach. Six months later, that patience had run out.