The New York Liberty is reportedly hiring Golden State Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco as its new head coach. ESPN.
DeMarco, who won four NBA titles with the Warriors, was also the head coach of the Bahamas men's basketball team and an assistant coach at the 2015 and 2017 NBA All-Star Games.
The Liberty won the first title in franchise history in 2024 and got off to a 9-0 start last season. However, injuries ultimately derailed their campaign and the Mercury eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs. A few days after losing Game 3, the Liberty announced that Brondello would not return as coach.
In four seasons under Brondello, the Liberty went 107-53, won a franchise-record 32 games in 2023 and 2024, never missed the playoffs and made two finals appearances. In addition to the 2024 WNBA championship, Brondello also captured a Commissioner's Cup title in 2023.
Despite all of Brondello's success, general manager Jonathan Kolb and the Liberty's brain trust felt it necessary to go in a different direction to get the most out of their championship window.
“Coming out of this season and really seeing the influx of change on a lot of teams, it made the decision timeline tangible and something that we can act on,” Kolb said during his exit interview about the decision to move on from Brondello. “You can stand still or embrace change and move forward. My commitment is to continue to take the New York Liberty to new heights. We believe that embracing these changes will bring freshness and energy to our group.”
The Liberty only have two players under contract through 2026 – Leonie Fibich and Nyara Sabally – and, like every team in the league, are in for an exciting offseason. Brianna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones have all expressed a desire to return, but it remains to be seen how free agency will work once the new collective bargaining agreement is ratified. In addition to trying to re-sign their big three, the Liberty will have important decisions to make regarding Natasha Cloud and Emma Meesseman.
