Are the Liberty Still Contenders? 2026 Roster Breakdown + WNBA Changes
- Erica L. Ayala
- 16 hours ago
- 5 min read
Chris DeMarco Hire, Free Agents, and WNBA CBA Breakdown
Now that we officially have a collective bargaining agreement, it's time to discuss what lies ahead for the 2024 WNBA Champions.
The New York Liberty and the league will be celebrating their 30th season. In Brooklyn, that means a new head coach. There is a lot that needs to happen between now and the home opener on May 8.
We're breaking down what we know, the biggest free gency questions, and the 2026 New York Liberty schedule breakdown.
Plus, the next season of Gotta Get Up! A Podcast for New York Liberty Fans officially tips-off on March 31!
Meet New York Liberty's Ninth Head Coach
Chris DeMarco takes over after years as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors. While he’s been part of a championship-caliber system, the WNBA presents a different challenge.
From style of play to player relationships, DeMarco will face a steep learning curve—and little time to adjust.
The big question:
Can he guide a veteran team back into title contention right away?
Gotta Get Up hosts Brian Fleunrantin & Erica L. Ayala have a lot of questions about DedMarco and the franchise. With a condensed offseason, we'll soon see how Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb will move from concept to reality.
WNBA Free Agency Could Reshape the Roster
Per HerHoopStats, the Liberty only have the German duo of Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich under contract. Marine Johannes and Rebekah Gardener are Reserved Free Agents (RFAs).
That means big names like Breanna Stewart, Natasha Cloud, Jonquel Jones, and 2020 #1 overall pick Sabrina Ionescu could be elsewhere by the time the season tips off on May 8.
Jonathan Kolb’s Biggest Test Yet
General manager Jonathan Kolb has built a contender before—but this offseason may be his toughest challenge yet.
With limited internal stability and a shifting league landscape, Kolb must move quickly from vision to execution.
Ionescu and Stewart seem insistent they will be back. Other UFAs like Cloud, Jones, and midseason acquisition Emma Meesseman are larger question marks.
With upward of 100 UFAs this offseason, we also have to see how the league will handle the expansion draft ahead of the inaugural seasons for the Toronto Tempo - who hired the lone Liberty championship head coach Sandy Brondello in the offseason - and the revived Portland Fire.
This could spell trouble for the Liberty keeping both Sabally and Fiebich, both who were key pieces for the Liberty's 2024 Championship win over the Minnesota Lynx.
We won't know how things will shake out until we get more details about the WNBA Expansion Draft for Portland and Toronto, and then again once both teams have selected their core players.
Limited Draft Capital, Bigger Pressure
Although the 2026 WNBA Draft will take place in New York on April 13. Big time names like Azzi Fudd, Oliva Miles, Lauren Betts, are set to go high in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
While this bodes well for the league overall, barring trades, New York will not have a a blue chip prospect this season. Kolb & Co. will have to build through free agency in a year where nearly every veteran is an unrestricted free agent (UFA).
Kolb has a history of managing cap space well, and has proven to build solid relationship that helps find untapped talent and attract well-known names in women's basketball.
Can he and the front office staff work their magic and remain a top contender in 2026?
What Contention Looks Like in 2026
So what does success look like for New York?
I think it goes without saying that Kolb wants to bring his core players back: Stewart, Ionescu, Jones.
However, we've seen that the recent Liberty success has been predicated on the role players around the those three players.
Additionally, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is set to return from an injury that sidelined her for all of last season. Without Laney-Hamilton, the defensive identity of the 2024 champions suffered.
Who takes the fifth and final starting spot, assuming Kolb can retain the Core Four?
🗽 New York Liberty 2026 Schedule Snapshot
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🏀 SEASON START
May 8 @ Barclays Center
📆 SEASON LENGTH
44 Games • Through September
⭐ ALL-STAR WEEKEND
July 23–25 | Chicago
🌍 FIBA BREAK
September pause for the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup hosted in Berlin, Germany. We expect to see several current New York Liberty players represent their nation in the World Cup:
Breanna Stewart
Sabrina Ionescu
Marine Johannes
Leonie Fiebich
Nyara Sabally
🔥 KEY STRETCHES
•7-game homestand (early season)
Catch the Liberty during the longest homestreatch of the season from May 21 through June 6.
• 3 back-to-backs
Fatigue was a factor for the injury-laden Liberty last season. How will the team respond to three back-to-backs throughout the season?
• DeMarco vs Brondello
June 3 at 8:00 p.m. ET - Barclays Center
July 12 at 3:00 p.m. ET - Bell Centre
September 20 at 3:00 p.m. ET - Coca-Cola Coliseum
New York will take on Sandy Brondello and the Toronto Tempo three times in 2026, including on June 3rd. This will mark Brondello's first return to Barclays Center.
👀 MUST-WATCH HOME GAMES
June 6 vs. Indiana Fever - 8:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center
May 27 & 29 vs. Phoenix Mercury - 7:00/7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center
August 9 vs. Las Vegas Aces - 12:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center
We all love a good WNBA rivalry! Here are some teams we're hoping the team and fans get hyped for, including the Aces, Fever, and Mercury.
Ever since Las Vegas celebrated their second championship at Barclays Center we've had all Aces games circled. A'ja Wilson and company are coming in as the defending champions and will be a good test for a New York squad hoping to remain a top team in the league.
On that note, the Indiana Fever sans Caitlin Clark nearly toppled the Aces in the semifinals. The Fever also played the Liberty well last season. This is a must-watch series in 2026.
Finally, the Phoenix Mercury ousted the New York Liberty in the 2025 WNBA Playoffs & New York wants their lickback! Phoenix will flex their new logo in Brooklyn for two consecutive games in May.
Join the Conversation: Gotta Get Up Livestream
Want more insight on what’s ahead?
Join Brian Fleurantin and me on March 31 for the first livestream of the new season of Gotta Get Up: A Podcast for New York Liberty Fans.
We'll recap the Elite 8, discuss the latest WNBA collective bargaining agreement, and prepare fans for what has to happen between now and the historic 30th season of New York's most recent basketball championship franchise.
Throughout the season, we'll go live every Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET on the Black Rosie Media YouTube channel. You can also listen to all episodes on Transistor.fm or wherever else you listen to podcasts.