In late April, Liberty common supervisor Jonathan Kolb expressed a willingness of “being patient with the process” after hiring a first-time WNBA head coach in Chris DeMarco.
Six months later, that endurance has apparently worn out.
The Liberty fired DeMarco on Tuesday after one season, The Post confirmed.
When the Liberty fired Sandy Brondello a yr after she led the franchise to its first WNBA championship, Kolb said he had to “nail” the rent of her successor.
The firing of DeMarco after only a yr is an admission that Kolb got the hiring mistaken.
The Liberty, who went into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, were swept in the semifinals by the Atlanta Dream.
New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco stands on the sideline during Game 1 against the Atlanta Dream at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 4, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
After the season-ending Game 3 loss, DeMarco said he expected to return in 2027.
Liberty gamers, though, didn’t supply resounding endorsements — a yr after they all went to bat for Brondello, who was fired three days after the 2025 season ended.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and giving us a chance, and we just fell short.”
“Those decisions aren’t ours,” Breanna Stewart added. “I think my focus and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.”
With DeMarco out, Kolb is set to lead his fourth teaching search since 2019.
Some candidates who instantly come to thoughts embrace Indiana Fever assistant Briann January, Duke head coach Kara Lawson and Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding.
New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco talks to ahead Leonie Fiebich (13) during the first half of a sport against the Phoenix Mercury at Barclays Center on May 27, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
This is the first of what could be sweeping adjustments for the franchise this offseason after yet another failed run at the championship with a stacked roster.
DeMarco, a longtime NBA assistant coach with the Warriors who didn’t have a background in girls’s basketball, knew there would be a studying curve. He promised to overhaul the team’s offense and reinvigorate the protection.
There were rising pains. They went 2-8 during one midseason stretch.
His inexperience as a head coach confirmed at occasions in his administration of late-game conditions — the timeout snafu in the Game 2 additional time loss to the Dream being the remaining and most distinguished instance — and skill to handle the rotation.
A spotlight of DeMarco’s stint included the Liberty’s second Commissioner’s Cup win.
The Liberty completed the common season with a 26-18 report — one win fewer than they had a yr in the past. They pulled off a historic sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first spherical, but were outmatched by the Dream in the semifinals.
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