NEW YORK — Chris DeMarco is ready to lead the New York Liberty into a new era – or almost.
Liberty’s new signing is expected to leave his role as a Golden State Warriors assistant on Dec. 29 after the team’s visit to the Brooklyn Nets.
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After that, DeMarco is 100 percent committed to becoming Liberty’s new head coach — a job opportunity he described as a “no-brainer.”
In his introductory press conference, DeMarco described the Liberty as a “world-class organization” that has what it takes to win a WNBA championship. It was being in what he described as the “best city in the world” that attracted him to this new position.
“And again, I talked about the championship pedigree here,” DeMarco said at the Barclays Center on Wednesday. “I want to go somewhere where we have a chance to win, and with the support of the owners and the way the owners align with management, and now the head coach… it’s just an exciting opportunity.”
DeMarco, who lived on Long Island until he was a freshman, is set to lead one of the WNBA’s original franchises after general manager Jonathan Kolb decided to part ways with Sandy Brondello — the franchise’s winningest coach — in September.
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He brings 14 years of NBA experience (player development, assistant) to the Warriors. DeMarco, 40, won four titles with the Warriors and has also led the Bahamas men’s national basketball team since 2019.
The team has never qualified for the Olympics, but came close in 2024 after earning its most important victory in program history, defeating host Argentina in the final of the 2024 Olympic pre-qualifying tournament.
“I feel like I’m Bahamian, if we’re honest,” DeMarcos said. The Liberty, of course, is hosted by Bahamian-born star Jonquel Jones.
DeMarco – seated alongside Kolb – spoke at the press conference after working out with the Warriors on a three-games-in-four-days road trip (Dec. 4-7). He arrived in Brooklyn with his face on the big screens outside the Barclays Center on the square.
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It was the result of a two-month search in which DeMarco separated himself from other candidates late in the process, Kolb said. The general manager said the head coach excelled in the tactical session, part of the process each candidate goes through.
Kolb noted that DeMarco’s ability to have plans for the Liberty while simultaneously coaching in the NBA “really spoke to us.”
“So we believe Chris is the right person at this time to unlock the full potential of our group and lead the New York Liberty to the levels we all expect,” the general manager said. Kolb added that the coaching search involved “head coaches, assistant coaches, we looked at college programs as well as the NBA, and we’re really going with the evidence.”
Liberty’s new hire continued the trend of coaches with prior NBA experience landing head coaching jobs in the ever-growing WNBA.
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Phoenix Mercury head coach Nate Tibbets arrived there after years as an NBA assistant and head coach of two G-League teams. Natalie Nakase spent time as an assistant with the Clippers before coaching under Becky Hammon in Las Vegas and eventually being hired as head coach of the Golden State Valkyries.
DeMarco noted that Nakase and Tibbetts were coaches he spoke with about transitioning from the NBA to the WNBA.
“I have a lot to learn about space, so I’m going to hang out over the next few months, continue to grow and learn, and hopefully when the season starts we’ll all be ready to go,” he said.
Team owner Clara Wu Tsai and general manager Keia Clarke sat in the front row with Liberty players – Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Isabelle Harrison – also in attendance.
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DeMarco already knew some players before being hired and has since contacted every player on the team.
“I’ve gotten to know them a little bit, obviously, high character. They’re all great people (and I’m) really excited to start coaching them,” DeMarco said. Sabally, however, was the only Liberty player present Wednesday who was signed through the 2026 WNBA season. Leonie Fiebich’s deal keeps her in Brooklyn through 2027. The rest of the roster will be looking for a new deal as free agency approaches (lockout possible).
When this roster is set, DeMarco will aim for a WNBA title.
The groundwork should be laid as Kolb previously mentioned that he expected the core trio of Ionesu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart to re-sign with the franchise this winter.
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“Very, very excited, mainly because of the championship pedigree. I think for those who have won at the highest level, it’s very difficult to get there,” DeMarco said. “And we have an organization that has been there. We have a team full of players that have been there. And I think that’s important when you’re trying to win every season, and I know last season (we weren’t) able to repeat, and I think there’s some growth there, and we’re going to continue to work on that.”
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