Liberty stars sidestep DeMarco vote after playoff sweep — SkimNews
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- Liberty were swept in the WNBA semifinals, falling 85-83 to the Atlanta Dream on Friday after upsetting the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx in the first round
- Chris DeMarco, hired in December after more than a decade as a Golden State Warriors assistant, said he expects to return next season, but Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones all called his future 'not our decision'
- Player availability plagued New York's 2026 season: Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich missed significant time, Satou Sabally was limited to 13 games before being ruled out for the rest of the season, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was waived four days after the trade deadline
- DeMarco's inexperience showed in Game 2's controversial overtime ending, when he failed to use the Liberty's final reset timeout or attempt to clarify whether one remained
- Stewart, Jones and Ionescu are all under contract for two more years, defining the Liberty's championship window after two consecutive Finals appearances from 2023-24
- Stewart played 42 of 44 regular-season games in a healthy comeback season, calling Friday's sweep her first in the WNBA playoffs and noting the loss stings more after missing time last year
Why it matters: The Liberty's championship window is locked in: Stewart, Ionescu and Jones are all signed through 2027, meaning the organization's next coaching hire will shape whether this core ever returns to the Finals. DeMarco's first-year inexperience was already on display in a botched timeout sequence in Game 2, and the front office has shown a short leash — Sandy Brondello was let go after four seasons and just one year removed from delivering the franchise's first title in 2024.
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