Liberty Fire Chris DeMarco After Postseason Blunders And Lack Of Star Player Endorsement

The New York Liberty officially fired head coach Chris DeMarco on Tuesday after just one season, following a three-game semifinal sweep by the Atlanta Dream.

The decision ended a whirlwind tenure that lasted less than a full calendar year in Brooklyn.

General manager Jonathan Kolb announced the coaching change on Tuesday, November 3, following an abrupt conclusion to New York's 2026 campaign.

DeMarco had originally joined the franchise in December 2025 after a lengthy run in the NBA.

He spent fourteen seasons working as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors.

During his time in the Bay Area, DeMarco contributed to four NBA championship titles under head coach Steve Kerr.

However, he arrived in New York without any prior head coaching experience in the WNBA.

That transition quickly presented challenges across a turbulent regular season.

The Liberty finished the regular season with a 26-18 record under his watch.

That mark left New York sitting eighth in the league standings heading into the postseason bracket.

Finishing in the eighth spot meant the Liberty had to face the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the opening round.

New York then pulled off a historic postseason shocker against Minnesota.

The Liberty became the very first eighth seed in WNBA history to eliminate a number one seed.

That dramatic opening-round upset quickly reignited title expectations across the league.

Yet the postseason momentum vanished immediately in the semifinal round.

The Atlanta Dream swept New York in three straight games to dash their title ambitions.

CRUCIAL POSTSEASON BLUNDERS

The semifinal sweep at the hands of Atlanta exposed deep tactical and operational problems.

One glaring error stood out during a tight Game 2 against the Dream.

The Liberty bench failed to recognize that they still held an available reset timeout late in the contest.

In the WNBA, an advanced reset timeout allows a team to advance the ball without using a full stoppage.

That confusion carried over directly into overtime with the game hanging in the balance.

Instead of taking the reset timeout to organize a structured set, the Liberty played out the possession.

Star forward Breanna Stewart was forced into attempting a difficult, contested shot in the closing moments.

The missed opportunity and late-game disorganization drew immediate scrutiny from analysts and observers.

Such execution breakdowns underscored growing concerns about sideline management during high-stakes moments.

Atlanta capitalized on the miscue and closed out the series sweep in commanding fashion.

SILENCE FROM THE CORE STARS

Beyond on-court blunders, DeMarco faced an uncertain locker-room dynamic following the elimination.

The team's primary core stars refrained from publicly endorsing their head coach.

Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones all avoided offering firm public support for DeMarco after the playoff exit.

When addressing the season, Stewart pointedly described the campaign as inconsistent.

The former MVP stressed that genuine championship contenders must maintain high-level performances throughout the entire year.

Her comments reflected frustration with the team's up-and-down rhythm from start to finish.

Without a vote of confidence from Stewart, Ionescu, or Jones, DeMarco's standing grew increasingly precarious.

In modern professional basketball, front offices rarely retain coaches who lack the explicit backing of their franchise leaders.

Kolb and the Liberty leadership decided that a change was required ahead of the upcoming season.

INJURIES AND MIDSEASON HIGHS

Supporters of DeMarco could point to substantial adversity outside the head coach's control.

Roster instability troubled the Liberty throughout the entire 2026 campaign.

Key forward Satou Sabally suffered a concussion that derailed her integration into the rotation.

Sabally was limited to just thirteen appearances during the entire season.

All-Star guard Ionescu also missed several games due to injury issues.

Those constant absences forced DeMarco to rotate starting combinations on a weekly basis.

The fluctuating rotations made it exceptionally difficult to build chemistry on either end of the floor.

Even with those persistent lineup disruptions, DeMarco guided New York to silverware during the summer.

The Liberty captured the in-season Commissioner's Cup under his direction.

They also showed resilience by knocking off top-seeded Minnesota in historic fashion.

Yet those bright spots could not outweigh the broader frustrations of an eighth-place finish and an unceremonious playoff sweep.

FALLOUT AND CRITICISM

The dismissal immediately ignited fierce debate among national commentators and sports analysts.

Several ESPN personalities criticized New York's front office for displaying extreme organizational impatience.

Critics pointed back to the franchise's earlier decision not to retain veteran head coach Sandy Brondello.

Some media members labeled the original decision to let Brondello depart a major organizational mistake.

Now, DeMarco's quick departure leaves New York searching for its third head coach in three seasons.

That rapid turnover has raised questions about long-term stability inside the front office.

The New York Post highlighted that the team finds itself in the exact same predicament as last winter.

General manager Jonathan Kolb now faces significant pressure to nail this upcoming coaching hire.

THE SEARCH FOR A NEW LEADER

Speculation regarding the Liberty's next head coach began circulating immediately after the announcement.

Longtime ESPN anchor Linda Cohn publicly advocated for an iconic former player to take over the bench.

Cohn voiced strong support for five-time WNBA All-Star and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Teresa Weatherspoon.

“Teresa Weatherspoon. You want a band that would get Liberty some big-time fan attention. Spoon,” Cohn stated.

“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.”

Weatherspoon remains one of the most revered figures in New York basketball history.

She spent seven memorable seasons as a player with the Liberty during the league's formative years.