Ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, New York Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb preached patience with first-time WNBA head coach Chris DeMarco. Following Sandy Brondello’s exit, the same coach who led the Liberty to their first WNBA championship in 2024, Kolb said he needed to “nail” her successor’s hiring. But after finishing eighth in the regular season with a 26-18 record and a 3-0 sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Dream in the semifinals, DeMarco has shared the same fate as Brondello, as the franchise announced Tuesday they are parting ways with the former Golden State Warriors assistant coach.

According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou on X, the Liberty will now seek their third head coach in three years, and fourth under Kolb’s leadership, after he decided not to renew the contract of Katie Smith and hired Walt Hopkins, who was dismissed after two seasons. After Brondello’s departure following a first-round exit in 2025, her successor DeMarco’s stint was underwhelming at best, with the Commissioner’s Cup title and sweeping the top-seeded Lynx in the first round as the exceptions. DeMarco even received a vote of no confidence from the Liberty’s Big 3 of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu.

With a star-studded roster, title expectations are bound to come every season. While the Liberty are yet to announce a permanent replacement for the 41-year-old, it’s safe to assume whoever replaces DeMarco will have their hands full. Regardless, let’s go over some possible candidates who could become the Liberty’s fourth head coach under general manager Kolb.

Kristi Toliver

This isn’t Toliver’s first rodeo as a possible candidate for the Liberty head coach job. Last year, the New York Post’s Madeline Kenny reported that Toliver is among the favorites to fill the role, before Kolb eventually hired DeMarco.

If we look at Toliver’s resume, she might be the most qualified to become DeMarco’s successor. Toliver began her coaching career in 2018, when she was still an active player with the Washington Mystics. Her first stint was as an assistant coach for the Mystics’ NBA counterpart, the Wizards. She left the Washington Wizards for the Dallas Mavericks before her coaching portfolio took a sharp turn to the WNBA, joining Nate Tibbetts’ Phoenix Mercury staff as an associate head coach.

Toliver was also a serial winner as a player. She won a national championship with Maryland and spent 15 years in the WNBA and was a three-time All-Star (2013, 2018, 2019). She also won two championships with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2016 and the Washington Mystics in 2019. With both WNBA and NBA coaching experience and an extensive playing career, Toliver will once again be a headline candidate for the Liberty front office.

Teresa Weatherspoon

While it technically won’t be an internal hire, it would sure feel like it. Teresa Weatherspoon is a bona fide WNBA and New York Liberty legend, having spent seven of her eight seasons with them. T-Spoon led the Liberty to four WNBA Finals, earned five All-Star honors, won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and led the league in assists in 1997 and in steals twice.

Weatherspoon also boasts an extensive coaching resume, with a career spanning the NCAA, WNBA, NBA, and even Unrivaled, where she will be busy coaching Vinyl BC for a third season in January. In the WNBA, many argued that Weatherspoon did not receive a fair chance after the Chicago Sky parted ways with her after just one season in 2024. Weatherspoon’s Sky finished with a 13-27 regular-season record and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Before her Chicago Sky stint, T-Spoon was a two-way developmental and an assistant coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. Prior to that, she compiled a 99–71 (.582) overall record for Louisiana Tech over six seasons, capturing WAC regular-season championships in 2009 and 2011, a WAC Tournament title in 2010, and leading the Lady Techsters to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2010 and 2011.

However, Weatherspoon’s impact on her players has often extended far beyond the basketball court, with her ability to connect through heartfelt conversations setting her apart as a coach. Angel Reese experienced that firsthand when T-Spoon called to congratulate her on being drafted seventh overall in 2024, a moment Reese later recalled as making her feel instantly welcomed and “at home” in Chicago.

“I think it made my rookie year pretty easy because I had a coach that already played the game, already knew what it was, and could keep it real because you’re a player’s coach,” Reese said on the Unapologetically Angel podcast last year.

But with the Liberty front office currently wanting nothing but a second championship, it remains to be seen if Kolb would consider taking a chance on the 60-year-old.

Roneeka Hodges

While rehiring Sandy Brondello is out of the question, as she currently serves as head coach for expansion side Toronto Tempo, what the Liberty could do now is hire her former assistant. As the Liberty’s assistant coach from 2022 to 2024, Hodges helped Brondello capture the franchise’s first WNBA championship.

After that stint, Hodges reprised her role with Rachid Meziane’s Connecticut Sun staff, where her responsibilities expanded. The 43-year-old is widely considered one of the best upcoming head coaches, winning the 2026 Unrivaled Coach of the Year after leading Phantom BC to an 11-3 regular season record and an appearance in the Unrivaled Championship game against Mist BC. It was also one of the reasons Hodges came to light, and many fans wanted her to replace Meziane after the Sun rebranded to the Houston Comets.

In June, Hodges actually filled in the HC role for the Sun when Meziane was unwell, leading the team to a 68-57 victory against the Washington Mystics.

“She’s comfortable and confident, and she always has been, and that’s what I love about her… What you see is what you get. It’s no BS to her. She’s real, she reads people well.” Brondello said about Hodges in an NBC interview earlier this year.

With Mezaine retaining his role as Comets head coach, the Liberty do have a window to approach Hodges.

Andrew Wade

After DeMarco’s firing, many fans online are arguing that the Liberty should never have let go of the coach who won them their first championship just one season later. Well, one of Brondello’s staff members, Andrew Wade, remained with the Liberty through the 2026 season. Hired before the 2025 season, Wade is currently the assistant coach, and he was frequently seen discussing tactics on an iPad in a back-and-forth conversation with Breanna Stewart this season.

Before joining the Liberty, Wade was part of the Mystics, beginning his run as a video coordinator in 2019 before becoming a player development coach. Wade also coaches the Unrivaled’s Laces BC. With 17 wins, Wade is tied with DJ Sackmann for the all-time league lead across the 2025 and 2026 seasons. He led his team to consecutive playoff berths, including a 10–4 third-place finish in the 2026 regular season with a league-low 64.8 points allowed per game.

While Wade’s journey has been completely different from that of DeMarco or Brondello, the 30-year-old could provide the Liberty with some new ideas. Moreover, since he has been with the franchise’s past two underwhelming seasons, the Liberty’s core players could vouch for him just as they did for Brondello.