The brand new New York Liberty boss is getting into one of the vital harmful, if not fascinating, teaching conditions in latest WNBA reminiscence.
Towards the top of his opening statements as New York Liberty head coach, Chris DeMarco was accosted by considered one 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 trade led to humorous panic from the brand new boss, who shortly 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. Luckily, 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 this planet.”
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 problem the Liberty face this season, the Borough of Church buildings will probably be notably euphoric and Decrease Manhattan higher filter out 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 might’ve nicely 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 doubt each wield and worry it, absolutely conscious of its twin nature.
However it seems that DeMarco wouldn’t have it every other method.
“In case 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 this planet. You wish to be in the perfect conditions to your profession, and also you need an opportunity to win. In case you don’t, then that is most likely not the fitting profession for you.”
DeMarco is best-known for his lasting tenure with the Golden State Warriors to the informal observers, witnessing and creating one of the vital dominant prolonged runs in NBA historical past. Stationed within the Bay Space since 2012, playoff stress thus turned routine for DeMarco, whose trendy playoff workload would most likely be rivaled by solely narrating staple Mike Breen.
However DeMarco’s buried little bit of head teaching expertise was referenced a number of occasions amidst an eventful afternoon.
DeMarco is famous for his participant improvement work in Golden State: whereas the trendy Warriors are clearly outlined by the antics of Stephen Curry and Draymond Inexperienced, DeMarco appeared notably pleased with his work with Shaun Livingston, who shot 52 p.c over 5 remaining seasons in Oakland.
Hassle 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 might kick a program in search of 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 to this point: the group went excellent in a pre-qualifying event 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 way in which his group not solely responded to stress but additionally the way in which he was in a position to hold a constant tempo up regardless of home and worldwide interruptions stifling the participant improvement he had grow to be identified 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 improvement isn’t an actual factor as a result of your gamers are out of market the complete time,” DeMarco famous. “You go right into a recreation the place, for those who lose, the World Cup is shot, your likelihood 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 recreation in opposition to 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 all the pieces to the gamers. Everyone needs to do one thing particular for his or her nation. So once more, I’ve at all times embraced it. I like that a part of the sports activities.”
That kind of mirrors what DeMarco should work with in New York: whereas it was exhausting to question him in regards to 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 possible cherish the prospect to work with a detailed collaborator of her buddy Curry. DeMarco’s curiosity in advancing Bahaman basketball will possible intrigue Jones, who was attempting to showcase the Finals/Finals MVP trophy to her native Freeport the second she obtained her fingers 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 a minimum of had, all the pieces: extra. That was evidenced when it lower unfastened Brondello, the winningest coach in franchise historical past that needed to cope with a plethora of accidents in her remaining hours, in favor of a reputation extra versed within the trendy recreation.
To additional spotlight DeMarco’s success in intense adaptation, Kolb lauded the way in which he succeeded in a “tactical session” the key candidates went by. That check led to Kolb and his workforce formally making an attempt to persuade DeMarco to modify coasts. With ink to paper, a brand new model of stress closes in and Kolb believes that proper man is in place to face up to it.
“If you have 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 function, he demonstrated an elite capacity to shortly 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 nicely, in addition to an unrelenting work ethic that aligns nicely with our gamers in addition to identical to who we’re as a franchise,” Kolb continued. “So we consider that Chris is the fitting particular person right now to unlock the complete potential of our group and to guide the New York Liberty to the degrees that all of us anticipate.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
