The New York Liberty formally launched Warriors assistant coach Chris DeMarco because the WNBA franchise’s new head coach on Wednesday afternoon.
Throughout his half-hour information convention, DeMarco, 40, outlined his teaching philosophy and training ethos. It’s a basis that he stated was influenced by each his time with Golden State and as head coach of the Bahamas males’s nationwide crew.
“I used to be raised the correct manner in the correct tradition by Steve Kerr,” DeMarco advised reporters. “I’ve grown as a coach and I wish to do the identical for anyone else on my employees.”
He started his Golden State profession as a video intern in 2012, and ultimately turned certainly one of Kerr’s lead assistants. After virtually 14 years with the Warriors, DeMarco was able to take the subsequent step in his profession.
“I’ve spent numerous time on the defensive facet of the ball as a coach, and began to develop offensively,” DeMarco stated. “I’ve achieved participant growth, I’ve been a video coordinator, I’ve been a scout and achieved all the things I can exterior of being a head coach within the NBA.”
Now, DeMarco will get his probability to steer a franchise that gained the WNBA title in 2024 and options stars reminiscent of Walnut Creek’s Sabrina Ionescu, the Bahamas’ Jonquel Jones and the uber-talented Breanna Stewart. They’re gamers who DeMarco in comparison with the celebrities from Golden State’s heyday.
“That’s what I noticed time and again with the Steph Currys, the Draymond Greens, the Klay Thompsons and all of the veterans we’d usher in … these guys are all professionals, they usually all would train the youthful gamers methods to work,” DeMarco stated.
After a disappointing first-round exit this autumn, the Liberty fired Sandy Brondello. However the star-studded core stays.
I’m very excited, primarily due to the championship pedigree,” DeMarco stated. “For many who have gained on the highest degree, it’s so arduous to get there. We’ve got a company that’s been there and a crew filled with gamers who’ve been there.”
Ionescu attended the Warriors’ residence recreation in opposition to the Jazz on Nov. 24, and she or he and DeMarco had been seen speaking earlier than and after the Warriors’ win.
DeMarco stated his final recreation with the Warriors can be Dec. 29, when the crew visits Brooklyn’s Barclays Heart, the place the Liberty and the NBA’s Nets play.
In the course of the hiring course of, DeMarco stated he spoke with Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase, in addition to Phoenix Mercury common supervisor and former Warriors coach Nick U’ren and present Phoenix coach Nate Tibbetts.
DeMarco will be a part of the crew throughout a tumultuous time within the rising league’s historical past. The homeowners and the gamers’ union are embroiled in contentious negotiations over the WNBA’s subsequent collective bargaining settlement, and a lockout is a chance.
Nevertheless, he additionally joins a crew that, regardless of the uncertainty, ought to have as proficient a core as there may be within the WNBA.
“The muse is there, and when you might have gamers who’ve already gained, it’s such a aggressive benefit in any league,” DeMarco stated.
