The New York Liberty seems to be dragging its feet in the race to find a new head coach. Toronto Tempo snapped up Sandy Brondello almost as soon as Liberty fired her. The Seattle Storm plucked their assistant, Sonia Raman. The Dallas Wings hired the experienced USF coach Jose Fernandez. Portland Fire went for the basketball theoretician in Alex Sarama. Those are multiple quality options for GM Jonathan Kolb that are now unavailable. However, it seems their search has reached a shortlist. 

“We want to take as long as it takes to find the right person,”  Kolb had said. “Obviously, we’d love for that to be on the sooner end of things, but we’re not going to rush anything. We need to nail this. Our players, if we’re going to make a bold decision like this, our players deserve to get the best, and so we’ll take the time necessary.” So, this delay is not exactly surprising. But where is Liberty in this process? In a latest update, the Golden State Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco has been pitched as the next Liberty coach.  

“Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco has emerged as a serious contender for the Liberty’s head coaching job, multiple sources told The Post on Tuesday,” wrote  Madeline Kenney. 

Last week, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the franchise had three other NBA assistants in its shortlist. It included long-time NBA assistant and former G League and NBL head coach Will Weaver, current Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, and Kristi Toliver, the associate head coach of the Phoenix Mercury. It seems DeMarco has been added to this top three. Chris DeMarco is a long-time assistant at the Golden State Warriors, joining the organisation in 2012 as an intern in the video room.

The Dominican graduate has worked his way up from there, being a part of the Warriors’ dream run in the 2010s, which included 3 titles (+1 in 2022) and multiple finals finishes. He even has some playing experience from his college days at Dominican. He played at Edgewood in the NCAA Division 3 and was named second team All-Northern Athletics Conference as a junior. 

After transferring to Dominican, Chris DeMarco led them to a 16-13 record and a third-place finish in the California Pacific Conference, where he was named “Newcomer of the Year.” DeMarco will likely bring the Warriors’ philosophy of basketball to the Liberty if selected. It probably bumps him up the list, because the current Liberty squad is accustomed to playing the modern spacing-and-shooting style of basketball. 

Stephen Curry’s off-ball movement and outside shooting are what the Warriors have built under Steve Kerr. At Liberty, it will be Sabrina Ionescu replicating that to an extent. She has a similar gravity to Curry because of her three-point accuracy. It is not a 1:1 comparison, as Ionescu’s game is slightly different, but she can comfortably take up that role. This is assuming Ionescu remains at Liberty, as she is a free agent this offseason, and the CBA is still stalled to make any judgments. 

Are the New York Liberty Headed for a Full Tear-Down?

When Breanna Stewart was asked if Sandy Brondello would remain at the New York Liberty in 2026 after their Phoenix Mercury Semifinal loss, she was appalled by the question. “What the f***?” she muttered under her breath. Stewart publicly backed Brondello, saying, “I mean, to anybody that kind of questions Sandy being here, this is a resilient group, and she has our back, and we have hers.”

That was the mood in the team. After Brondello was let go, several social media posts came pouring in from Liberty players. “Eternally thankful for you @brondellosandy ❤️,” wrote Stewart. Natasha Cloud and Leonie Fiebich also showcased their support for their former coach. It’s clear that atleast Stewart, a part of that group, wanted Brondello to stay. And they have a chance to continue and work under her. 

Brondello has been hired at Toronto Tempo, a new expansion franchise. Every veteran on the Liberty side is now a free agent. It gives them a perfect chance to leave this rebuilding side and to have a new start. “I just felt that it probably wasn’t the right fit anymore, to be quite honest,” Brondello said on Sue Bird’s “Bird’s Eye View” podcast. “And obviously, it was a leadership decision there. And I work best when I’m in a partnership.” 

Now, which player is willing to take this chance is unknown. In their contract mechanics, multiple players like Stewart, Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Natasha Cloud will qualify for a big increase. In the latest proposal, a minimum would be more than $220,000 and an average of more than $460,000. 

ESPN revealed development in their latest report writing, “The WNBA’s latest collective bargaining proposal would include revenue sharing with a maximum salary of more than $1.1 million available to more than one player per team, growing each year, a source confirmed to ESPN.” Stewart and Ionescu would likely target those max contracts or atleast close to it, which takes away $2.2 million of their cap.  

While we don’t have any reports on the cap yet, the approximation from the base salaries comes to a $5–6 million cap. That would mean a big chunk of their investment will go to only two players. That dilutes the rest of their squad. The financial mechanics are still largely in the dark. But all signs point towards some unhealthy numbers if Liberty has to retain all of its current core.