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The New York Liberty have decided to part ways with head coach Chris DeMarco after just one season, as announced on Tuesday (November 3). DeMarco, who joined the Liberty from the NBA's Golden State Warriors, led the team to a 26-18 record and the eighth seed in the playoffs. Despite an impressive first-round victory over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, the Liberty were swept by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals, according to Front Office Sports.
DeMarco's departure marks the third head coaching change for the Liberty in as many years. The team previously fired Sandy Brondello after the 2025 season, despite her leading the Liberty to their first WNBA title in 2024. General Manager Jonathan Kolb will now embark on his fourth coaching search since 2019, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
The Liberty's star players, including Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, expressed frustration with the team's inconsistency throughout the season. Stewart noted, "I don't think we were consistent throughout the season," highlighting the need for readiness from the start. Ionescu added, "We're thankful for everything that he's done this year," but acknowledged that the decision was not theirs to make, as reported by Newsday.
DeMarco, who was under contract for the next season, had hoped to return in 2027. However, the Liberty's management decided to move in a different direction. The team will now look to fill the coaching position while managing their roster, which currently has six players under contract and $3 million in cap space.