Liberty Fire Chris DeMarco After One Season, a 26-18 Record and a 3-0 Semifinal Sweep

Photo: WNBA.com. Official Breanna Stewart headshot, New York Liberty.

The New York Liberty will not retain Chris DeMarco as head coach, sources told ESPN's Alexa Philippou on Tuesday morning. The New York Post's Madeline Kenney confirmed the firing. DeMarco lasted one season. His Liberty went 26-18, entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, swept the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round and then got swept 3-0 by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals.

That makes three head coaches in three seasons for a team that won its first WNBA title in 2024. Sandy Brondello delivered that title, and New York fired her three days after the 2025 season ended, per the Post. General manager Jonathan Kolb said then that he had to "nail" the hire of her successor. In late April he talked about "being patient with the process" with a first-time WNBA head coach. Kolb is set to run his fourth coaching search since 2019, per the Post.

A 26-18 season

Read the regular season alone and the move looks harsh. Twenty-six wins is one fewer than New York had under Brondello in 2025, per the Post. The Liberty also won the Commissioner's Cup, the franchise's second.

The Liberty went 2-8 in a midseason stretch, per the Post.

Swept the Lynx, swept by the Dream

New York won 91-75 in Minneapolis behind Stewart's 34 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, then closed it 87-71 at Barclays Center behind Jones' 21 and 13. Minnesota became the first No. 1 seed in WNBA playoff history to be swept in an opening series. New York never trailed in the clincher.

The Dream won Game 1 92-82 and scored 32 points off 21 New York turnovers. They won Game 2 101-98 in overtime while shooting 40 percent, because they took 20 more shots, grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to New York's five and scored 28 points off 17 Liberty turnovers. New York shot 55 percent in that game and still lost. Then Atlanta won Game 3 85-83 in Brooklyn.

The Post singles out the timeout mix-up in the Game 2 overtime loss as the final and most visible example of late-game management that hurt New York, along with how DeMarco ran the rotation.

What Ionescu and Stewart said

After Game 3, per the Post: "I don't know what's going to happen," Ionescu said, per the Post. "Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and giving us a chance and we just fell short." "Those decisions aren't ours," Stewart said, calling the season a "missed opportunity."

A year earlier the same core went to bat for Brondello, per the Post, and she was fired anyway. Stewart and Jones carried the scoring in Game 3, combining for 52 of New York's 83 points while nobody else reached 13.

Names the Post floated

DeMarco came from a long run as a Warriors assistant without a background in the women's game, and he promised a faster offense and a sharper defense, per the Post. The Post floated Fever assistant Briann January, Duke head coach Kara Lawson and Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding as names that come to mind. None has been reported as a candidate.

Sources

• Alexa Philippou on X (ESPN). Nov. 3, 2026. DeMarco not retained, sources told ESPN. 26-18, No. 8 seed, swept by Atlanta in the semifinals.
• New York Post: Liberty fire coach Chris DeMarco after only one season. Madeline Kenney, Nov. 3, 2026. Firing confirmed. Brondello fired three days after the 2025 season. Kolb "nail" and "being patient with the process" quotes. fourth search since 2019. 2-8 midseason stretch. Game 2 overtime timeout snafu. second Commissioner's Cup. 26-18 one win fewer than 2025. Ionescu and Stewart quotes. January, Lawson and Harding named as possible fits.
• Yahoo Sports on X. Nov. 3, 2026. Liberty will seek their third head coach in three years.
• The Dyme: Breanna Stewart's 34 Points Put the No. 1 Lynx on the Brink. Game 1, 91-75.
• The Dyme: Jonquel Jones' 21 and 13 Finish the Liberty's Sweep of the No. 1 Lynx. Game 2, 87-71. first No. 1 seed swept in an opening series.
• The Dyme: Dream Beat Liberty 92-82 in Game 1 as Canada Scores 25. 32 points off 21 turnovers.
• The Dyme: 101-98 in Overtime Puts the Dream One Win From the WNBA Finals. Shot volume, offensive rebounds, turnovers.
• The Dyme: Angel Reese and the Dream Sweep the Liberty 85-83. Stewart and Jones 26 each. Nobody else on the roster scored more than 12.
• Basketball-Reference: 2026 New York Liberty. 26-18 record. Won first round 2-0 over Minnesota, lost semifinals 3-0 to Atlanta.
• ESPN: Liberty's star trio say coach's future 'not our decision'. Alexa Philippou, Oct. 10, 2026. Ionescu "I don't know what's going to happen" quote. Game 2 overtime reset timeout.
• Photo: WNBA.com. Official Breanna Stewart headshot, New York Liberty.