New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco said he expects to be back on the bench in 2027, even after the team was swept out of the playoff semifinals by the Dream in his first season running the club.
Asked whether he had discussed his future with general manager Jonathan Kolb, DeMarco said, “As far as I know, every communication I’ve had, dialogue I’ve had, the answer is yes.”
His confidence stands in contrast to the response from three of the Liberty’s biggest names. Given the chance to back DeMarco publicly after the loss, Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart all stopped short of endorsing his return.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” 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,” Stewart said. “I think my focus and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.”
DeMarco took over last year after Kolb made the difficult call to move on from Sandy Brondello just one season after she led the Liberty to their first WNBA championship. Kolb had said at the time that he needed to “nail” the hire for her replacement.
“Ultimately we determined that evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time,” Kolb said then.
The Liberty settled on DeMarco, a longtime Golden State Warriors assistant, after a lengthy search. He arrived with limited head-coaching experience, having previously led the Bahamian men’s national team to the brink of the country’s first Olympic basketball berth.
That inexperience showed at points this season, particularly in his handling of late-game situations and in-game adjustments. A timeout mishap during the Game 2 loss to the Dream was the most recent and most visible example.
The Liberty finished the regular season 26-18, one win fewer than the previous year, and entered the playoffs as the eighth seed after finishing fifth in 2025.
