The New York Liberty are a work in progress in the first season under head coach Chris DeMarco, with aspects of their system, player integration, and communication still being developed. DeMarco, who joined the Liberty in December, has guided the team to an undefeated record in Commissioner's Cup play, earning them a spot in the championship game.
Despite this tournament success, the Liberty have experienced a recent slump in regular-season play, losing four of their last five games. The team currently holds a 12-8 record and sits in fifth place. Their recent losses include matchups against the Washington Mystics, Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm, and Golden State Valkyries.
The Liberty roster features a core of established stars, including Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, further fortified by free-agent additions Satou Sabally and Pauline Astier. This collection of talent positions them as a contender, a reality DeMarco was aware of when taking the role. He previously worked with the Golden State Warriors during their championship era.
Players have noted that DeMarco is actively incorporating feedback and working to implement his desired style of play. "He’s trying to learn on the fly quick," Stewart said of DeMarco. "And he got this job in December… So he’s trying to do his best he can to make it happen on the court with the system he wants to put in, but also with the integration of players and putting people in their best spot, so I think it’s a work in progress. But he’s definitely doing the best he can to speed it up."
Ionescu acknowledged that the team anticipated growing pains with a new coach. "We understand that’s part of what we signed up for when we got a new head coach is we understand there’s going to be growing pains," Ionescu said. "There’s going to be situations where we’re just not comfortable in and we’re trying to learn one another and build the chemistry on the fly and you can only do that by going through the adversity together."
Ionescu praised DeMarco's communication and his ability to connect with individual players, stating that his messaging has been clear from the outset. "We just have to give him grace just like he gives us grace when we’re out there trying to learn his style," Ionescu added. "But the buy-in has always been there from us to the coaching staff and vice versa. … Everyone believes in him, trusts in him, and he’s going to continue to learn and get better and I think it’s scary to see how much better we’re going to get with the fact that this is all very new to him."