New Coach Chris DeMarco Addresses Liberty Players

Sabrina Ionescu, Nyara Sabally, Isabelle Harrison, and Betoniya Rainey-Hamilton were front and center during the recent press conference, awaiting the arrival of new head coach Chris DeMarco and general manager Jonathan Kolb.

This show of support by the players indicates their enthusiasm for the recent hiring.

DeMarco is in the early stages of building rapport with his team. He understands that this process won’t be instantaneous; it’s, perhaps, one of the toughest tasks he’ll tackle as he steps into a franchise that secured a championship less than two years ago.

“It starts with the relationship with the players,” DeMarco noted. “They need to trust me and have faith in our coaching staff—and I believe we’ll get there.”

During the press conference, he shared his vision for the coming season, emphasizing a player-driven and collaborative culture for the Liberty, akin to the successful model seen in the Warriors.

“It’s not just my voice,” he said. “We’ll all be on the same wavelength, and every member of the staff will contribute. I’m excited, but I’m also focused on our goals—it’s important for this to be a player-led team.”

DeMarco has reached out to the entire roster and has plans to meet with key figures like Ionescu and Brianna Stewart this offseason. He’s keen to gather their thoughts and shape the team’s future together.

“We’ll decide collectively how we want to proceed,” he explained, adding, “history shows that player-led teams tend to perform better. It’s not just about coaches pointing out where we fall short. It’s essential that the players share in that accountability.”

Coaching Staff Updates

With all three assistants from last season having left, DeMarco has a clean slate to rebuild his coaching team.

He has several potential candidates in mind, many of whom he’s previously collaborated with in the NBA and on the Bahamas men’s national team. However, he emphasized that there’s no rush to finalize these appointments.

“We’re focused on finding the right individuals,” DeMarco stressed. “They need to align with our culture and goals. This will take time.”

When asked about the possibility of an all-female coaching staff, DeMarco mentioned that women have always been part of the coaching dynamic in the Bahamas, citing figures like Yolett McPhee-McEuin from Ole Miss and G League assistant Addison Walters.