Chris DeMarco firing brings down the curtain on Liberty's tumultuous 2026
From defensive issues to "ResetGate", DeMarco just wasn't the right fit.
In the 2026 season, the New York Liberty faced a tumultuous end to their tenure under head coach Chris DeMarco. The decision to hire DeMarco, an NBA assistant coach with no experience in the WNBA, came after the team's early playoff exit the previous year. DeMarco led the Liberty to a 26-18 record and secured the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
However, their season was marked by injuries and inconsistent performances. Satou Sabally, the team's top player, missed 13 games due to injury, while the Liberty's 13-12 start raised concerns. Despite a Commissioner's Cup victory over the Las Vegas Aces in the regular season, New York finished with a worse record than in the previous season (26-18 vs. 27-17).
In the playoffs, the Liberty made a surprise run, defeating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in three consecutive double-digit wins. However, they were ultimately swept by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals, with a controversial Game 2 loss to overtime that showcased the coach's lack of experience. After the season, the Liberty announced that they would not retain DeMarco as head coach, marking the end of a challenging period that included three head coaches in three years.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
