ESPN Icon Linda Cohn Floats Teresa Weatherspoon As Replacement For Liberty Head Coach Job

With Chris DeMarco out in New York, ESPN icon Linda Cohn proposed bringing back five-time All-Star and former Liberty standout Teresa Weatherspoon as the next head coach.

The New York Liberty suddenly dismissed DeMarco after only a single season on the sideline.

That abrupt front-office decision sent ripples across the women's basketball world and sparked immediate debates among national commentators.

Longtime ESPN anchor Linda Cohn wasted little time putting forward a legendary name who already commands enormous respect throughout the five boroughs.

Cohn made her direct pitch during a televised discussion about the Liberty's sudden leadership vacancy.

"Teresa Weatherspoon. You want a band that would get Liberty some big-time fan attention. Spoon. A franchise icon with the Liberty. With professional coaching experience, including as a WNBA head coach. Why not T-Spoon? She belongs in the conversation when you’re talking about the next head coach for the Liberty."

A FRANCHISE ICON WITH DEEP NEW YORK ROOTS

Few figures in the history of the WNBA resonate with New York fans quite like Weatherspoon.

The Hall of Famer stands as one of the original pioneers of the league since its inaugural season.

Weatherspoon spent seven memorable seasons wearing the Liberty uniform during the franchise's foundational years.

Over the course of her tenure in New York, she earned five WNBA All-Star selections through her relentless defensive tenacity and playmaking leadership.

Her suffocating perimeter defense earned her the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year award twice.

Weatherspoon helped propel the Liberty to the WNBA Finals in four separate campaigns.

Her time as a player in New York is etched in basketball lore by one of the most famous shots in the history of the sport.

During Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals, Weatherspoon launched an unforgettable half-court buzzer-beater against the Houston Comets.

That miraculous game-winning heave preserved New York's postseason run and remains an enduring symbol of Liberty basketball.

After her playing days concluded, Weatherspoon stayed connected to the franchise by working in player development for New York.

Her enduring popularity among the fan base makes her an instant magnet for attention in the local market.

THE COACHING RESUME ACROSS COLLEGE AND THE PROS

Beyond her legendary playing career, Weatherspoon has built a multifaceted coaching resume that spans multiple levels of competitive basketball.

Her journey on the sideline includes extensive experience in collegiate basketball, the NBA, and the WNBA.

Weatherspoon previously spent six seasons as the head coach of Louisiana Tech.

During her time leading the Lady Techsters, she compiled an overall record of 99-71.

Her collegiate tenure produced consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Under her guidance, Louisiana Tech also captured the Western Athletic Conference Tournament championship in 2010.

In 2019, Weatherspoon transitioned to the NBA when she joined the New Orleans Pelicans organization.

She began her tenure in New Orleans by developing the team's two-way contract players before earning a promotion to serve as an NBA assistant coach.

That rare cross-league background eventually paved her way back to the WNBA sideline as a head coach.

Weatherspoon took the reins of the Chicago Sky ahead of the 2024 season.

Her lone season in Chicago proved challenging as the Sky finished with a 13-27 record and fell short of the postseason.

Chicago's front office opted to fire Weatherspoon after just one season on the job.

That swift dismissal drew vocal public pushback from marquee rookie Angel Reese, who had developed under Weatherspoon during her debut campaign.

THE FALLOUT FROM DEMARCO'S BRIEF TENURE

The vacancy in New York opened when the Liberty front office made the sudden decision to remove DeMarco on Tuesday, November 3.

DeMarco had been hired by the Liberty in December 2025 following a long tenure in the NBA.

He had previously spent 14 seasons as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, where he won four NBA championships.

However, DeMarco arrived in New York with zero previous coaching experience in the WNBA.

His inaugural regular season finished with a 26-18 record, which left the Liberty sitting eighth in the league standings.

Despite the mediocre seeding, DeMarco helped steer New York to a midseason championship by claiming the Commissioner's Cup.

His team then authored a historic moment in the opening round of the WNBA playoffs.

New York stunned the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx, becoming the first eighth seed in league history to eliminate a number one seed.

Yet that brief postseason euphoria evaporated rapidly when the Liberty met the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals.

Atlanta swept New York in three straight games to end the franchise's championship hopes.

SCRUTINY AND COSTLY ERRORS

The sweep at the hands of Atlanta laid bare operational flaws that had lingered around the Liberty all season.

DeMarco faced intense criticism for his late-game management during the critical moments of Game 2 against Atlanta.

In that matchup, the Liberty coaching staff failed to recognize that the team still held a reset timeout available in overtime.

Without the timeout being deployed, star forward Breanna Stewart was forced to attempt a difficult, contested shot on a broken possession.

The costly timeout blunder became a defining visual of DeMarco's brief head coaching run.

At the same time, the former head coach had to navigate severe roster turbulence caused by injuries.

Star forward Satou Sabally suffered a concussion that limited her to just 13 appearances throughout the 2026 campaign.