The brand new New York Liberty boss is getting into some of the harmful, if not fascinating, teaching conditions in latest WNBA reminiscence.
Towards the tip of his opening statements as New York Liberty head coach, Chris DeMarco was accosted by one in every of his new potential proteges, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Hardly hidden among the many media amassed, Laney-Hamilton was handed the microphone because the de facto rep amongst a metropolitan quarter seated within the entrance row of DeMarco’s convention.
The change led to humorous panic from the brand new boss, who rapidly knowledgeable the WNBA Finals heroine that he didn’t “get [her] a notepad,” referring to a present that every of the anticipated questioners acquired upon their arrival. Fortuitously, Laney-Hamilton’s question was actually extra tasteful, because the workforce’s self-professed “foodie” requested about his anticipation of working in “arguably the perfect meals place on the earth.”
The pessimist can view Laney-Hamilton’s lack of notepad as a dire seafoam omen, however a paper scarcity is a disaster for Dunder-Mifflin, not Barclays Heart. If that’s the largest challenge the Liberty face this season, the Borough of Church buildings might be notably euphoric and Decrease Manhattan higher filter for one more parade subsequent fall.
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— Geoff Magliocchetti (@GeoffJMags) December 10, 2025
DeMarco Is aware of What’s Forward of Him
DeMarco has larger fish to fry (and pattern) as the brand new bearer of the Liberty’s torch. He fills what may’ve properly been probably the most harmful, if not fascinating, teaching emptiness in latest basketball reminiscence, one the place the items—and expectations—are well-positioned towards a championship.
The double-edged seafoam sword was prominently brandished when the Liberty parted methods with the completed Sandy Brondello, the overseer of the primary skilled basketball championship the hardwood-crazy metropolis had skilled in over 5 a long time. Her successor, a place created shortly after the Liberty dropped its title protection’s opening spherical set to Phoenix, would little question each wield and worry it, totally conscious of its twin nature.
However it seems that DeMarco wouldn’t have it every other approach.
“When you ever performed any sport and also you’re aggressive, that is what you need,” DeMarco mentioned. “You wish to be round the perfect gamers on the earth. You wish to be in the perfect conditions in your profession, and also you need an opportunity to win. When you don’t, then that is in all probability not the best profession for you.”
DeMarco is best-known for his lasting tenure with the Golden State Warriors to the informal observers, witnessing and creating some of the dominant prolonged runs in NBA historical past. Stationed within the Bay Space since 2012, playoff stress thus grew to become routine for DeMarco, whose trendy playoff workload would in all probability be rivaled by solely narrating staple Mike Breen.
However DeMarco’s buried little bit of head teaching expertise was referenced a number of instances amidst an eventful afternoon.
DeMarco is famous for his participant growth work in Golden State: whereas the trendy Warriors are clearly outlined by the antics of Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced, DeMarco appeared notably happy with his work with Shaun Livingston, who shot 52 p.c over 5 ultimate seasons in Oakland.
Bother in Paradise Helped DeMarco Cross Coasts
However the Liberty have been much more intrigued by what DeMarco did when the advantage of endurance wasn’t on his aspect. DeMarco beforehand served on the helm of the Bahamas’ males’s nationwide basketball workforce, the place one false transfer may kick a program searching for mere Olympic inclusion again to sq. one.
A subsequent globe-trotting seven-game profitable streak amassed over a year-plus, however the Bahamas was on the cusp of its best hardwood triumph so far: the group went good in a pre-qualifying match in Argentina (defeating the hosts within the championship finale) earlier than falling one step in need of ringed development by an eight-point loss to Spain.
The expertise was encouraging to DeMarco, who was happy with the best way his group not solely responded to stress but in addition the best way he was in a position to maintain a constant tempo up regardless of home and worldwide interruptions stifling the participant growth he had change into recognized for on the onset of Golden State’s historic run.
“Anyone who’s performed on a nationwide workforce or been round nationwide groups, you may have restricted practices. Participant growth isn’t an actual factor as a result of your gamers are out of market your complete time,” DeMarco famous. “You go right into a sport the place, if you happen to lose, the World Cup is shot, your probability on the Olympics is shot. We needed to win, I believe, 10 straight video games with the Bahamas, twice in Argentina, to actually have a shot to play within the championship sport towards Spain in Spain to go to the Olympics.”
“To me, that’s actual stress. You bought a rustic that you just’re representing, and this implies every little thing to the gamers. All people desires to do one thing particular for his or her nation. So once more, I’ve at all times embraced it. I really like that a part of the sports activities.”
That roughly mirrors what DeMarco must work with in New York: whereas it was onerous to question him concerning the Liberty roster with the collective bargaining settlement negotiations nonetheless raging on, common supervisor Jonathan Kolb beforehand professed the “utmost confidence” in protecting the headlining core of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart collectively.
Proof for Kolb’s confidence is plentiful: Stewart provided a verbal dedication after the Liberty’s elimination whereas unofficial Bay Space ambassador Ionescu will probably cherish the possibility to work with a detailed collaborator of her buddy Curry. DeMarco’s curiosity in advancing Bahaman basketball will probably intrigue Jones, who was attempting to showcase the Finals/Finals MVP trophy to her native Freeport the second she bought her palms on each.
In fact, any coach with such an arsenal ought to be cautious what she or he wished for. The Liberty earned all of it in 2024 and there’s just one factor to get the workforce that has, or no less than had, every little thing: extra. That was evidenced when it lower free Brondello, the winningest coach in franchise historical past that needed to cope with a plethora of accidents in her ultimate hours, in favor of a reputation extra versed within the trendy sport.
To additional spotlight DeMarco’s success in intense adaptation, Kolb lauded the best way he succeeded in a “tactical session” the main candidates went by. That take a look at led to Kolb and his workforce formally making an attempt to persuade DeMarco to change coasts. With ink to paper, a brand new model of stress closes in and Kolb believes that proper man is in place to resist it.
“Whenever you take a look at his expertise as a head coach with the Bahamas nationwide workforce, he orchestrated a historic run, and he led a program to unprecedented success, and in that position, he demonstrated an elite capability to rapidly adapt,” Kolb declared. “He was adapting to new rule units, fluctuating rosters and excessive stress elimination environments, and whereas doing so, he proved that he can do extra than simply handle a system, however he can construct one that matches the expertise in entrance of them.”
“Chris possesses a uncommon mixture of tactical, savvy, emotional intelligence as properly, in addition to an unrelenting work ethic that aligns properly with our gamers in addition to similar to who we’re as a franchise,” Kolb continued. “So we consider that Chris is the best particular person right now to unlock the total potential of our group and to steer the New York Liberty to the degrees that all of us count on.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
