It has been a baptism of fire for Chris DeMarco in his debut season as a head coach. The New York Liberty have looked underprepared, uninspiring, and have lacked an identity. Despite Satou Sabally's unavailability, the 2024 WNBA champions still have the weapons to be performing at a higher level. With the Liberty's postseason on the verge of a catastrophic end, DeMarco must accept he has failed in his first year.
Even without Satou Sabally, New York has a star-studded roster capable of making a championship tilt -- if coached correctly. Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones all played an integral role in the Liberty's 2024 title run. Leonie Fiebich has grown in stature since the team's historic year, while Pauline Astier, Han Xu, and Marine Johannes can all make a positive contribution if given the minutes.
Frankly, this group of players possesses far too much talent to occupy eighth place in the regular-season standings. They may have finished the year with a 26-18 record, but the Liberty fell far below expectations. Unfortunately for Chris DeMarco, he must accept the brunt of the criticism surrounding New York's underwhelming season.
DeMarco failed to create an effective blueprint for his greatest assets
There can be no shirking of responsibility when the New York Liberty undergo their offseason evaluation. A team with a “Big Three” of Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones cannot afford to struggle, regardless of which other players make up the roster. This can only be seen as a coaching problem and not a personnel issue.
Under DeMarco's tutelage, Ionescu is having her least productive year since her second season in the league. The 28-year-old is averaging 14.6 points and 4.7 assists per game, while shooting just 38.8% from the floor and 29.5% from deep. Whether it has been fitness-related or some form of tactical disagreement, Ionescu hasn't looked comfortable in the Liberty's system all year.
During the Liberty's 92-82 Game 1 defeat to the Atlanta Dream, Ionescu recorded five turnovers and just one assist in 34 minutes of action. A high percentage of these turnovers came from lacklustre passes on the arc without any form of protection from frontcourt players. Despite Atlanta stealing so many points from turnovers, DeMarco failed to make any in-game adjustments to bring his side back into contention.
Now, with the New York Liberty on the verge of a series sweep against the well-prepared Atlanta Dream, Chris DeMarco must deliver a tactical masterclass to pull off a historic comeback. Evidence suggests he is not yet capable of such a feat. If the Liberty are to claw their way back into this series, it will be due to the individual brilliance of Breanna Stewart -- not their head coach.
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