In late April, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb expressed a willingness of “being patient with the process” after hiring a first-time WNBA head coach in Chris DeMarco.
Six months later, that patience has apparently worn out.
The Liberty fired DeMarco on Tuesday after one season, The Post confirmed.
When the Liberty fired Sandy Brondello a year after she led the franchise to its first WNBA championship, Kolb said he had to “nail” the hire of her successor.
The firing of DeMarco after only a year is an admission that Kolb got the hiring wrong.
The Liberty, who went into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, were swept in the semifinals by the Atlanta Dream.
After the season-ending Game 3 loss, DeMarco said he expected to return in 2027.
Liberty players, though, didn’t offer resounding endorsements — a year after they all went to bat for Brondello, who was fired three days after the 2025 season ended.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and giving us a chance, and we just fell short.”
“Those decisions aren’t ours,” Breanna Stewart added. “I think my focus and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.”
With DeMarco out, Kolb is set to lead his fourth coaching search since 2019.
Some candidates who immediately come to mind include Indiana Fever assistant Briann January, Duke head coach Kara Lawson and Lakers assistant Lindsey Harding.
This is the first of what could be sweeping changes for the franchise this offseason after yet another failed run at the championship with a stacked roster.
DeMarco, a longtime NBA assistant coach with the Warriors who didn’t have a background in women’s basketball, knew there would be a learning curve. He promised to overhaul the team’s offense and reinvigorate the defense.
There were growing pains. They went 2-8 during one midseason stretch.
His inexperience as a head coach showed at times in his management of late-game situations — the timeout snafu in the Game 2 overtime loss to the Dream being the final and most prominent example — and ability to manage the rotation.
A highlight of DeMarco’s stint included the Liberty’s second Commissioner’s Cup win.
The Liberty finished the regular season with a 26-18 record — one win fewer than they had a year ago. They pulled off a historic sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round, but were outmatched by the Dream in the semifinals.
