It’s official.
The Liberty announced the hiring of head coach Chris DeMarco on Wednesday, formalizing the appointment of the Golden State Warriors assistant after a two-plus-month search and nearly two weeks after he emerged as the man for the job.
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The Post was the first to report on DeMarco’s candidacy on Nov. 18, and he had a deal in place with the Liberty three days later.
DeMarco will be introduced at a press conference at Barclays Center on Dec. 10.
Chris DeMarco looks on prior to a Golden State Warriors game. NBAE via Getty Images
“I’m incredibly honored to join the Liberty and proud to help carry forward the standard this franchise has set — excellence on the court and a strong connection to the community,” DeMarco said in a statement. “The chance to work with some of the greatest players in basketball, supported by an exceptional front office and ownership group, is the kind of opportunity every coach dreams of. I can’t wait to get started — building on the winning foundation and culture that make the New York Liberty so special.”
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Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton welcomed DeMarco — reassuring for anyone anxious about Stewart’s or Ionescu’s free agency — in videos circulated by the Liberty on social media.
“We’re ready, I’m ready to get after it,” Stewart said. “There’s no place like New York, and I can’t wait for you to feel the energy every single day, every single night, and know that we’re working to get back to another championship.”
The Liberty fired title-winning head coach Sandy Brondello on Sept. 23 following an uneven 2025 season that ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Mercury.
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DeMarco, 40, earned four rings in his 14 seasons with the Warriors. The Liberty’s announcement trumpeted such achievements as the Warriors leading the league in net rating three times and “[holding] opponents to the league’s second-lowest shot quality over the past 10 seasons (49.9% qSQ), per Second Spectrum.”
“After a thorough search, we could not be more thrilled to welcome Chris DeMarco as our head coach,” Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in the statement. “Throughout the process, our goal was clear: identify a leader who could elevate our culture, implement elite-level systems, and bring a modern vision for how to guide this franchise forward on the court.
Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu high five during a Liberty game at Barclays Center on July 25, 2025. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post
“Chris is a proven winner whose approach has been shaped by more than a decade inside one of basketball’s most successful dynasties. He has seen firsthand what it takes to build a championship standard, and his clarity, adaptability, and player-development expertise will be invaluable as we strive to deliver the best version of the New York Liberty for our players, organization, and amazing fans.”
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The WNBA currently is mired in negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. Offseason business such as an expansion draft for the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire and free agency cannot happen until a labor deal is in place.
But the Liberty officially have a new head coach in place.
“Today marks an exciting next chapter for the New York Liberty,” owner Clara Wu Tsai said in the release. “Our commitment has always been to deliver world-class basketball and the best fan experience in Brooklyn, and that is why we continue to invest in attracting top talent across every area of our organization.”
