Last week, the New York Liberty announced a deal to hire Chris DeMarco, who has served as the Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach since 2012, as their new head coach for the upcoming 2026 WNBA season.
After an early exit in the first round of the 2025 WNBA playoffs, the Liberty parted ways with their head coach, Sandy Brondello, who led the Liberty to their first WNBA championship in 2024. Brondello left New York with the title of winningest coach in Liberty history, and a record of 107-53 over four seasons.
Since Brondello’s exit, Liberty fans have been awaiting a conclusion to the two-month-long search for a new head coach.
What Will Chris DeMarco bring to the Liberty this season?
In his 15-year tenure with the Warriors, DeMarco has served in a variety of roles, from player development to assistant coach. He has played a major role in the Warriors’ success, helping them to win four titles in eight years, most recently in the 2021-2022 season.
On the defensive side, DeMarco worked closely with some of the most well-known Warriors, such as Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green. He continued to play a primary role in the Warriors’ defensive success throughout his tenure, namely through his relationship with Green.
During the Warriors’ 2023 playoff series against the Lakers, Green credited DeMarco for his success and vast improvement from Game 1 of the series. DeMarco told Green that his abysmal play during Game 1 left him unrecognizable and that he played “awful” defensively. This honest and no-frills approach propelled Green to play the game he needed to in Game 2.
DeMarco is a fierce coach who is not afraid to back down from a challenge. And this will undoubtedly serve the Liberty well next season, as they try to rebuild after the loss of Brondello and a shockingly early playoff exit.
A Disappointing 2025 Season
Coming off a championship in 2024, the Liberty were poised for another successful and possibly title-defending season, but all of that fell to the wayside. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton‘s absence due to a knee injury sustained during Unrivaled undoubtedly impacted the Liberty’s defense before the season even began.
Additionally, the Liberty were without some of their stars, namely Leonie Fiebich, Nyara Sabally, and Marine Johannes, for a decent chunk of the season as these players represented their home countries in the EuroBasket competition.
During their final game against the Phoenix Mercury, the Liberty, excluding Breanna Stewart, struggled immensely. Fiebich suffered a broken rib, which she played through for a total of 28 minutes on the floor. Although this display of mental and physical toughness is admirable, it wasn’t enough to save the Liberty from their eventual defeat. Despite injuries, the Liberty were otherwise disorganized and unable to keep up with the Mercury on both ends.
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Returning the Liberty to Glory
The Liberty’s General Manager, Jonathan Kolb, said after the 2025 season that the Liberty ultimately “determined that evolution and innovation is what is needed at this time” over wins and the close relationship that players and fans have developed with Sandy Brondello.
If innovation and evolution are what the Liberty wants, DeMarco is a great option. His no-nonsense approach will hold players accountable in tough moments and keep them motivated even in the face of adversity.
Although DeMarco comes to New York with over a decade of coaching experience, this will be his first season coaching women’s basketball. DeMarco’s hiring follows a trend in the WNBA, which has begun to privilege the NBA coaching experience.
With DeMarco’s hiring, there are now eight male head coaches, and seven of the 15 total coaches have at least one year of NBA coaching experience.
What’s Next for Sandy Brondello?
After her exit from the Liberty in September, Brondello made a prompt transition to the Toronto Tempo to serve as the head coach of the WNBA expansion team, which will debut in 2026.
The Tempo’s general manager, Monica Wright Rogers, said in a press release that Brondello “knows how to win at the highest level – but she also knows how to build culture and community. She’s known for creating an environment where every player understands their role, feels empowered to lead, and recognizes how they contribute to something bigger than themselves. That’s what builds sustainable success. That’s what builds champions.”
Fans can look forward to watching Brondello’s debut with the Tempo and DeMarco’s with the Liberty during the 2026 WNBA season.
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