New York will look for its third head coach in three straight years after DeMarco went 26-18 and got swept by the Dream in the semifinals.
The New York Liberty have fired head coach Chris DeMarco after just one season, sources told ESPN. The move makes New York the only franchise searching for its third head coach in as many years.
DeMarco, 40, was hired in December after 14 seasons as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, where he was part of four championship-winning coaching staffs. He led the Liberty to a 26-18 record and the No. 8 seed, with the team starting the year 13-12 while dealing with injuries to key players. Offseason acquisition Satou Sabally played just 13 games, and Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich both missed significant time.
Despite the rocky start, New York won the Commissioner's Cup in June and upset the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round of the playoffs. But the Liberty were then swept by the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals, ending the season short of expectations for the defending champions.
DeMarco becomes the second consecutive Liberty coach shown the door, after Sandy Brondello was fired last offseason despite leading the franchise to its first WNBA title in 2024. Brondello has since been hired as the Toronto Tempo's first head coach. General manager Jonathan Kolb, who took the job in 2019, will now make his fourth head coaching hire with the Liberty.