Chris DeMarco explained how pace, Breanna Stewart's workload and New York's late-season progress helped the Liberty sweep the No. 1 Lynx.
New York Liberty coach Chris DeMarco won his first playoff series as a WNBA head coach Tuesday night. The Liberty finished a two-game sweep of the Minnesota Lynx in the first round with an 87-71 win at Barclays Center.
With the win, New York became the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league's 30-year history, The Associated Press reported. Minnesota went 33-11 during the regular season, the best record in the league.
DeMarco agreed to become the Liberty's coach in November 2025. He had been with the Golden State Warriors since 2012, when he started as a video coordinator, and was on the staff for all four of the franchise's NBA championships under Steve Kerr.
He took over the Bahamas men's national team in 2019. Jonquel Jones, who led New York with 21 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday, is from the Bahamas.
DeMarco replaced Sandy Brondello, who went 107-53 in four seasons and won the franchise's first championship in 2024. Brondello now coaches the expansion Toronto Tempo, which finished 11-33.
Injuries Shaped DeMarco's First Season
New York was 4-4 in late May and 13-11 in mid-July. The Liberty finished 26-18 and went into the playoffs after Breanna Stewart sat out the regular-season finale with left knee soreness and Jones injured her ankle in the same game.
The wins and losses did not always show where DeMarco saw his team.
"This was a tough year for us with injuries and a lot of other stuff going on, and I feel like we've been trending in the right direction for a while now," DeMarco said. "It doesn't always show up in the wins and losses, but we're ready to play, and we knew we had to be at our best at the end of September and October. I think we are right now."
DeMarco Says Father Taught Him Hard Work
DeMarco's father was a coach himself. Tuesday's clincher came in front of a sellout crowd of 17,593 in Brooklyn.
"I think about him often," DeMarco explained. "I grew up a New York sports fan because of him. This means a lot to me in Brooklyn and in New York in general. A lot of traditions that I still have, whether it's going to a restaurant or going to a neighborhood, he taught me hard work. He was a coach himself."
"Especially in these moments, whether it was with the FIBA stuff, with the Warriors, or here, it's just something I always lean into even more," DeMarco continued. "The day of or the day before, I think about him and how he approached things. And it's incredible to be in this environment with this crowd and be in New York. For us to play the way we're playing, it does feel special."
Liberty Managed Stewart for Playoff Workload
Stewart stayed on the floor for all 40 minutes Tuesday. She finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists and went 9-of-9 at the free-throw line.
Her 32.9 minutes per game led the Liberty during the regular season. After sitting out the Sept. 23 finale against the Atlanta Dream, she had 34 points and 12 rebounds four days later in Game 1 at Minneapolis.
DeMarco said the Liberty need Stewart on the floor for her defense and her work late in the shot clock.
"We used the longer timeouts, same as last game, like the media timeouts," DeMarco said. "But in general, I just think with her, we managed her minutes most of the season. There were a few rest games in there as well, just for these moments."
"Her ability to lift her teammates, what she does for us on the defensive end, late shot clocks, and just the ability to rebound and go, it's just that we feel we need her on the floor," DeMarco added. "And it's that time. We manage it all season for this."
DeMarco Explains Why Liberty Kept Pushing Pace
New York scored 13 fast-break points Tuesday, and Minnesota scored 11. In Game 1, the Liberty had 11 fast-break points to the Lynx's six.
The Liberty turned 12 Minnesota turnovers into 16 points in Game 2.
Pushing the tempo was one of New York's keys for the series, whether the Liberty were down 10 or up 10.
"It was just one of our keys. One of our keys," DeMarco said. "When you get into a playoff series, you look at what's worked this season and where we're at our best. It was one of the things we wanted to do: no matter if we're down 10 or up 10, just continue to push the tempo. I thought we did a great job."
"Obviously, in the quarters, you want to be able to see everything in front of you. Then you get into the time game and point differential for when you really want to slow it down, make sure you're getting good ones, and everything's in front of you," DeMarco noted. "So I think we did an incredible job executing our keys, especially that one. I think we're at our best when we can play before the defense is set. We did a fantastic job."
Liberty Await Dream or Mystics
New York will face the winner of the Atlanta Dream-Washington Mystics series in the best-of-five semifinals. Atlanta, the No. 4 seed, beat Washington 92-77 in Game 1 on Sunday.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Washington. The Dream finished the regular season 30-14, and the Mystics finished 28-16.
The semifinals begin Sunday, with the Liberty opening on the road.
