In late April, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb expressed a desire to “be patient with the process” after hiring a WNBA head coach for the first time, Chris DeMarco.
Six months later, that patience seems exhausted.
The Liberty fired DeMarco on Tuesday after one season, The Post confirmed.
When Liberty fired Sandy Brondello a year after leading the franchise to its first WNBA championship, Kolb said he had to “nail” the hiring of her successor.
Firing DeMarco after just one year is an admission that Kolb got his hiring wrong.
The Liberty, who entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, were swept in the semifinals by the Atlanta Dream.
After the season-ending loss in Game 3, DeMarco said he planned to return in 2027.
Liberty players, however, did not offer resounding endorsements — a year after they all fought for Brondello, who was fired three days after the end of the 2025 season.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “No matter what, I’m grateful that you coached us this year and gave us a chance, and we just fell short.”
“These decisions are not ours,” added Breanna Stewart. “I think my goal and what I’m thinking about right now is just: missed opportunity.”
DeMarco was under contract for next season. The terms of his buyout were not immediately known.
With DeMarco out, Kolb is set to lead his fourth coaching search since 2019.
Some candidates that 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 another championship failure with a stacked roster.
DeMarco, a longtime NBA assistant coach with the Warriors who had no experience 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 a midseason stretch.
His inexperience as a head coach showed itself at times in his handling of late-game situations – the timeout issue in the Game 2 overtime loss to the Dream being the final and most glaring example – and his ability to manage the rotation.
One of the highlights of DeMarco’s stint was Liberty’s second Commissioner’s Cup victory.
The Liberty finished the regular season with a 26-18 record, one win fewer than a year ago. They completed a historic sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in the first round, but were outplayed by the Dream in the semifinals.
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