Liberty Face Coaching Questions After Semifinal Exit

The New York Liberty's 2026 season ended with a semifinal sweep by the Atlanta Dream, leaving the championship contender facing questions about coaching, consistency and roster continuity. New York lost 85-83 in Game 3 and fell short after entering the playoffs as a title favorite.

According to ESPN, first-year coach Chris DeMarco said he expects to return next season, but Liberty stars Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones said the decision on his future belongs to the organization.

Stewart said the team had the talent to win a championship but struggled to maintain consistency during the 44-game regular season. She played 42 games and averaged 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks, according to CBS Sports.

"1,000%" believes the team had the personnel to win a championship, Stewart said. She described the season as a missed opportunity.

Stewart also addressed the team's uneven performance and preparation throughout the year.

"Of course, we want to win a championship every single time we step on the court, but it's really hard in this league, and in order to do that, you need to be consistent for the full 44 games," said Stewart, Liberty forward. "And I don't think we were consistent throughout the season. I think that we started to show some life and peak a little bit in towards the end and in the playoffs.

But this is not like cramming for a test. You got to be ready and ready to go since the jump."

The Liberty finished the regular season 26-18 as the No. 8 seed. CBS Sports reported that injuries limited key players, including Satou Sabally to 13 games, while Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich also missed significant time.

Ionescu said DeMarco's status was not something players would decide after the playoff elimination.

"Not our decision," said Ionescu, Liberty guard. "We're thankful for everything that he's done this year. Just focusing on the now, the way he's poured into us and stayed positive, level-headed through the ups and downs of this season as well that didn't go the way that he wanted either.

I mean, I don't know what's going to happen. Regardless, thankful for him coaching us this year and obviously giving us a chance. And we just fell short."

Jones gave a similar response, saying players remained focused on their responsibilities during the season.

"That's not our say. Our job is to go out there and play good basketball and represent the organization well, represent the fan base well, and our families. And I think we do a good job of focusing on that. And it is what it is," said Jones, Liberty center.

DeMarco joined New York after more than a decade as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and replaced Sandy Brondello, who was dismissed after leading the franchise to its first championship.

The Liberty's inability to establish continuity became a major issue. According to CBS Sports, Stewart, Jones, Ionescu, Fiebich and Sabally played only 25 minutes together, while the team's most frequent five-player lineup logged 157 minutes.

Stewart pointed to defensive identity as a key factor after Atlanta's physical series win.

"When people say defense wins championships, it's f---ing true," said Stewart, Liberty forward.

Fiebich said the team needed to recover the qualities that helped it win in 2024.

"We won in '24 because we brought the toughness and we had the talent and we had the team chemistry. I think we've got to continue to find ways to get that back," said Fiebich, Liberty guard.