Liberty and Sparks open 2027 WNBA season with head coaching vacancies
New York and Los Angeles parted ways with their respective head coaches, leaving both franchises to search for new leadership before the next free agency period.
By Daniel Rogers ·
The 2026 WNBA regular season has concluded, leaving two franchises without head coaches as they prepare for the 2027 campaign.
The Los Angeles Sparks and the New York Liberty have both dismissed their current head coaches, creating immediate openings in the league. Both organizations intend to fill these positions before free agency begins in early 2027.
The Liberty released Chris DeMarco on November 3, ending his tenure following Game 7 of the WNBA Finals. DeMarco, a former assistant for the Golden State Warriors, guided New York to a 26-18 regular season record and the No. 8 seed. The team captured the Commissioner's Cup in late June and achieved a historic first-round sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. However, the Liberty were eliminated in the semifinals by Atlanta. During the final minutes of the second semifinal game, DeMarco did not call a timeout or stop the clock to verify the status of the team's remaining reset timeout in overtime.
New York front office personnel had initially expected DeMarco to return for a second year. That plan shifted after the team's three main players voiced their views on the roster's potential. Breanna Stewart stated that she believed the team had the talent to win a championship and cited the missed opportunity as her primary concern. General manager Jonathan Kolb is now tasked with finding a third head coach for the franchise since 2021.
The Sparks let go of Lynne Roberts on September 25, after two seasons without a playoff berth. Roberts, who took over from Curt Miller in 2024, oversaw a period of reconstruction that saw the team miss the postseason for the sixth consecutive year. Her first season included the acquisition of Kelsey Plum, but the team finished 21-23. In the 2026 season, Roberts brought back veteran Nneka Ogwumike, though the franchise also traded Plum to Phoenix and Rickea Jackson to Chicago. The Sparks finished the year with a 16-28 record, leaving Roberts with a combined mark of 37-50.
With the Golden State Valkyries recently winning the championship, the focus turns to how these two franchises rebuild their coaching staffs. The search for new leaders will define the early stages of the 2027 season for both New York and Los Angeles.
Source: ESPN
