New York Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco calls a play against the Atlanta Dream in the third quarter during game one of the second round for the 2026 WNBA Playoffs at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis, Imagn Images via Reuters … | Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Daniel Benjamin, Editor Theresa Melisurgo · Last Word on Sports Thu, November 5, 2026 at 5:22 PM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement After just one season as head coach of the New York Liberty, Chris Demarco was let go on Tuesday morning. The Liberty finished the season 26-18. During the first round of the 2026 WNBA playoffs, the Liberty swept the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx. In the second round, they were swept by the Atlanta Dream. This news of letting Demarco go poses the question: who will the next coach be? Let's take a look at what didn't quite go right and potential next-coach candidates.
Atlanta Dream guard Rhyne Howard (10) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) react after the Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty in Game 3 of the second round of the 2026 WNBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
While the Liberty team kept its core intact with Breanna Stewart , Jonquel Jones , Sabrina Ionescu , and Leonie Fiebich, things were looking promising early on. An offseason acquisition of Satou Sabally also made waves around the league due to her leadership and experience. However, injuries kept knocking Sabally down, ultimately keeping her out for most of the season. Additionally, Ionescu (13 games) and Fiebich (23) sat out at least 10 contests.
As a result, DeMarco would often put different lineups on the floor during games — the Liberty used 18 different players and 15 starting lineups. The problem was that the lineups often did not make sense, especially given the team's depth and the chemistry among players who had been teammates in different leagues.
The constant rotation of lineups has been proven unsuccessful. Changing the lineups often disrupts the on-court chemistry. It can also mess with any game plans that had been written up.
Demarco entered the season with no experience coaching a women's basketball team before this stint with the Liberty. He was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors , and coached the Bahamas men's national basketball team. Acquiring someone with NBA coaching experience with a successful franchise looked promising.
However, Demarco was unable to execute a plan to lead the Liberty through the entire playoffs. There were many games this season in which Demarco was not part of the team huddle during timeouts. Stewart would take the team on her back and speak to them in these moments. A coach needs to be a leader for their team. Leadership is one of the qualities that was missing during this season. The team's togetherness was not present.
Many coaches are interviewing for the head coach position. What the Liberty needs is someone passionate, who aims for that togetherness, and has played in the WNBA. The first-hand playing experience is always good to have. Here are some potential candidates:
New York Liberty legend Theresa Weatherspoon celebrates during the New York Liberty championship parade along the Canyon of Heroes in New York.
Teresa Weatherspoon is one of the most iconic players in Liberty franchise history. She made what was known as "The Shot," a three-point buzzer-beater in Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals.
While Weatherspoon did not win a championship in her time with the team, she was there when the Liberty won in 2024. Having someone as passionate about the team, even after playing for them, is important. Weatherspoon played in the WNBA from 1997 to 2004. She was a 5-time WNBA All-Star and a 2-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. With these accolades, Weatherspoon would be a great coach.
Weatherspoon's coaching experience includes. Weatherspoon was head coach of the ABA Westchester Phantoms. She was also head coach at Louisiana Tech from 2009-2014. Then she was an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans from 2019-2023, head coach of the Chicago Sky in 2024, and with Vinyl BC in Unrivaled from 2025-present.
Duke Blue Devils head coach Kara Lawson speaks to the media during the ACC Basketball Tip-Off in Charlotte, NC. Photo Credit: Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Kara Lawson played in the WNBA from 2003 to 2015. In 2005, Lawson won the WNBA Championship with the Sacramento Monarchs, and in 2007, she was a WNBA All-Star.
Lawson has a ton of coaching experience. Lawson got her first taste of coaching as an assistant with the Boston Celtics in 2019.
After one year with the Celtics, Lawson was hired as the head coach of Duke women's basketball in July 2020, a role she has held ever since. She was also the head coach for the USA Women's 3×3 Team in 2020, and an assistant coach for the USA Women's National Team from 2022 -2024. Then, in September 2025, she was named head coach of the USA Women's national team, leading them to two gold medals and a 13-0 record.
Roneeka Hodges has extensive experience, playing in the WNBA from 2005 to 2015 and overseas until 2019.
Hodges' coaching career includes serving as a special advisor at LSU from 2019 to 2020. Hodges was also an NCAA assistant coach for Old Dominion from 2020 to 2021, and Colgate from 2021 to 2022. She also has been an assistant coach in the WNBA (2022-2025).
One of the biggest highlights on Hodges's coaching resume is that she served as an assistant coach for the New York Liberty from 2022 to 2024. In 2024, the New York Liberty won its first WNBA Championship in its franchise history. The fact that Hodges was there for that success means she knows what it takes to help coach a team to a championship.
She is currently the head coach for the Phantom in the Unrivaled league.
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Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Source: Sports
