Is securing a playoff berth in your first season and becoming the first eighth seed in WNBA history to oust the No. 1 seed enough to hold your job as the head coach? Apparently not in the case of Chris DeMarco and the New York Liberty. The WNBA’s impatience with new coaches is reshaping the league’s coaching landscape, and four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird has definitely noticed.

In Friday’s episode of her “Bird’s Eye View” podcast, she gave her take on the current trend surrounding WNBA head coaches.

“Earlier, I guess, what was like the end of the WNBA season, but earlier in that, you know, we saw the Los Angeles Sparks move on from Lynne Roberts. Most recently, we have seen the New York Liberty move on from Chris DeMarco. This
after one year, so I guess Lynn was there for two years, Chris one year. I’m kind of like gathering my thoughts on this. It’s all just happened fast. I think what really comes through is that there are teams and franchises who, they don’t want to wait. They’re not messing around, so they’re quick to move on. That’s clearly the case.”

The Los Angeles Sparks dismissed head coach Lynne Roberts after a two-season tenure. The coaching change follows a 16-28 record in 2026 that extended the franchise’s postseason absence to six consecutive years. Hired ahead of the 2025 season following nearly a decade at Utah, Roberts concluded her tenure in Los Angeles with a 37-51 overall record.

Following a collegiate tenure at Utah, highlighted by three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and a Sweet 16 appearance, Roberts was hired to manage a roster transition in Los Angeles anchored by Cameron Brink. Ultimately, the franchise did not experience the projected advancement in regular-season win percentage or postseason qualification during her tenure.

While LA’s subpar record and missed playoffs may have triggered Roberts’ ouster, the same isn’t true of Chris DeMarco, whose departure came as a bit of a surprise.

Transitioning to the WNBA in December after a 14-year assistant coaching tenure with the Golden State Warriors, DeMarco led New York to a No. 8 regular-season finish in his inaugural season. During the postseason, the Liberty recorded a first-round series sweep against the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx before being eliminated in three games by the Atlanta Dream in the Semifinals.

New York will now look for its third head coach in three seasons.

And if we go a little way back, DeMarco’s departure doesn’t appear quite as harsh, considering that his predecessor was shown the door even after winning a championship.

Sandy Brondello, who coached the New York Liberty to the franchise’s first WNBA championship in 2024, was dismissed on Sep. 23, 2025, following the team’s first-round elimination from the playoffs that season.

As Sue Bird noted, these personnel decisions highlight a broader WNBA trend: franchises are operating with condensed timelines, requiring immediate results regardless of a coach’s historical accolades or the team’s prior-season performance.

While it may not have gone according to plan for Roberts and DeMarco this season, Bird was impressed by the bold calls made by the championship-winning Golden State Valkyries’ head coach.

Sue Bird Impressed by Natalie Nakase’s Leadership

The Valkyries postseason was full of ups and downs. They had to face the reigning MVP, A’ja Wilson, and the defending champs, the Las Vegas Aces, on their road to the Finals. And the Finals also went to a grueling Game 7. But in the end, Nakase’s team pulled through. And Sue Bird, while talking to Finals MVP Gabby Williams on the aforementioned podcast, highlighted that Nakase’s tactical choices had a large part to play in it.

“I mean, even throughout the course of the playoffs, there were times when you [Williams] would sit for stretches, which I actually appreciated because, for you, it’s like you get to rest a little bit,” said Bird. “It’s like some found rest, so that’s kind of nice. But then you look at, like, Janelle Salaün, Sixth Player of the Year in the regular season, doesn’t really have a lot of minutes. So, it felt like she (Nakase) was able to make these bold moves. And in your locker room, you guys know that it’s because you trust her, but you have to build that.”

Williams agreed in unison, even pointing out Nakase’s decision to put Aminata Gueye to guard some of the best offensive players throughout the postseason, especially in the Finals.

“I think if you were in that locker room every day, those decisions don’t feel as bold… It’s been something that’s been built all year. Like we’ve been win by committee,” Williams said.

It’s certainly been a team effort for Golden State, winning a championship in just their second year of existence. Now that the 2026 season is done, only time will tell how the coaching decisions of the franchises will shape next year.