CHRIS DEMARCO GETS FAMILIAR WITH HIS NEW HOME

As the New York Liberty enters a new era, they’re counting on new head coach Chris DeMarco to guide them down the right path.

Earlier this month, DeMarco had his introductory press conference with the Liberty. At the presser, he and Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb discussed the vision they have for the Liberty entering 2026 and beyond. The DeMarco has been met with praise across the basketball community, although some big picture questions remain about the Liberty’s championship-contending odds going forward.

Before DeMarco and the Liberty get to work on the court, we got a behind the scenes look at Chris’ first day in Brooklyn on the latest episode of Liberty Unlocked!

Throughout the video, we got to hear from Golden State Warriors legends Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry as well as follow DeMarco throughout his day in Brooklyn. We also got to see him interact with players such as Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Isabelle Harrison, and Nyara Sabally. All in all, it was a successful first day and gave the players room for optimism.

“I think that [DeMarco and Kolb] did a great job of answering the questions,” Betnijah Laney-Hamilton said in the video, “and giving us a little sneak peek as to what to expect.”

Laney-Hamilton’s return will be one of the things that has Liberty fans excited for 2026. New York missed Laney-Hamilton’s toughness, ability to score on all three levels, defensive versatility, and all-around excellence. Her return would boost the team’s perimeter attack as Laney-Hamilton can fill in the gaps caused by her injury in 2025.

Following the Warriors’ win over the Brooklyn Nets on December 29, DeMarco officially concluded his work in the NBA.

The Liberty should be great in 2026. They still have excellent talent and organizational infrastructure. DeMarco will provide new energy and with the team looking to avenge a disappointing season, they’ll have all the motivation in the world to contend for a title.

AN EARLY SEASON BIG 10 SHOWDOWN SHINES A LIGHT ON A BROADER ISSUE

Conference play has begun, and there was a big-time showdown in Columbus on December 28. Number 4 UCLA hit the road for an early afternoon matchup with 19th ranked Ohio State in Columbus. The Buckeyes put up a great fight, but UCLA’s size proved to be too much for OSU as UCLA came away with a solid win.

Star center and likely lottery pick Lauren Betts put forth a solid all-around game of 18/16/4/3 as she was instrumental to UCLA’s 50-32 points in the paint advantage. UCLA still has plenty to clean up, but last year’s Final Four club is in good shape heading into 2026.

After the game, the discussion focused on who wasn’t there. In postgame, UCLA head coach Cori Close observed that there was no UCLA based media on hand to take part in a postgame media availability with her and her team. Media was working the game, but they were Ohio State beat writers and didn’t have any specific questions for Close and UCLA, hence why they weren’t there in post.

Following the game, Close spoke with Los Angeles-based writer Benjamin Royer via phone and said the following:

“Honestly, if I’m being really blunt with you, the energy in the building was great, but having no media here at all from either team or either — no AP, no nothing, doesn’t say a lot. We’re the only double-ranked game out today; the only one in the country, and we had no media day today. No media here. You’re the only one that’s asked to talk to me. And credit to you, but I don’t mind if you print that either. Like for the only game that had two ranked opponents to not have more coverage over this particular game — disappointing, honestly.”

There’s a lot to dig into, so let’s try to cover as much of it as we can. Close is right to be frustrated with what she feels is a lack of coverage for her team. As a Final Four team last season and National Championship contender that features a potential lottery pick in Lauren Betts along with a likely first round pick in Kiki Rice, they should be one of the teams that draw a lot of coverage. UCLA is a marquee school that draws a good audience, and they should have as many eyes on them as possible.

The other point is a bit bigger than this particular moment. Over the course of the 2020s, media has been gutted to a disturbing degree. There aren’t as many positions for writers available as there once were, and a lot of outlets that hadn’t been fully invested in women’s sports in the past are playing catch-up. As a result, everyone has to do more with fewer resources available to them.

For many writers covering women’s sports, we have full-time jobs and do our best to cover the games and players as thoroughly as possible. It’s a labor of love, and everyone is doing their best.

Friend of the WBB Roundup newsletter Natalie Weiner made this point on the Skyline, and it’s worth sharing here.

On Bluesky, Weiner wrote, “Almost everyone listens to music, and no one wants to pay music critics. There is a gap between women's and men's coverage, but also I think the biggest issue is the death of media broadly.”

Will the media business change for the better? It’s unlikely, but we certainly hope so.

Thinking about this situation, I recalled my work as a beat writer. I’ve been on the Liberty beat for four seasons, and a lot of my coverage centers on the team and what they’re up to. Beat writing is specific to one team, although there is plenty of room to explore different teams and the league as a whole. I don’t travel to road games very often, although there is an excellent reporter who does.

Postgame press conferences usually start at the same time in different parts of the arena. In my role on the beat, I stay with the Liberty and cover those sessions before joining media scrums outside the home locker room. There is some in-person media presence for visiting teams, but most questions come via Zoom, as there aren’t many traveling beat writers. It often leads to situations where a few people are in the room asking questions, rather than the full house the home team usually gets.

As I consider Close’s point, should I, in my role as a beat writer, be more accommodating to the visiting team and join their press conferences to give them more media coverage?

I don’t have the answer now, but it’s definitely something I’ll be thinking about during the off-season.

UCLA has been tremendous and will continue to be a team to watch closely. The Big Ten might be the toughest conference in women’s hoops, and it’s going to take a special effort if they want to win it. As they go on this journey, hopefully, they get as much fan support and media coverage as possible.

SOUTH CAROLINA PREPARES FOR THE FUTURE

When you’re a national championship contender, you have to always be on the lookout for reinforcements. The competition in women’s basketball improves by the day and if you fall behind by a little bit, it drastically reduces your chances of competing. Fortunately for Dawn Staley and South Carolina, they’re always looking for ways to improve the team. And coming soon, they’ll be welcoming some highly touted prospects to Columbia.

Jerzy Robinson is one of the most hyped prospects in the high school ranks. She is currently third in the 247Sports and fifth in ESPN’s SportsCenter NEXT 100 rankings. Jerzy attends Sierra Canyon High School, a place that has had its fair share of professional players. Basketball fans have been locked into her journey dating back to her time in Arizona, and in 2026, she’ll be taking her

On December 23, Robinson announced on ESPN that she will be joining the University of South Carolina!

"Playing basketball has always been my love and my passion and what I put my time into," Robinson said. "To see it pay off and the hard work and the hours pay off, in the sense of I get to play for one of the best universities in the country, I just have so much gratitude.

Robinson is one of the best and most popular athletes in the high school ranks, and in 2024, she signed a Name, Image, and Likeness agreement with Nike. Earlier this year, South Carolina inked an agreement with Nike for them to become the official athletic wear of the University, starting on June 30, 2026. A win on the court and in the boardroom!

Robinson got some words of encouragement from the M’VP and legendary Gamecock alum, A’ja Wilson:

“I’m so excited to watch you grow as a person and as a player and take the next step in your journey. Enjoy every moment, every minute, and before you know it, I’ll be seeing you in the big leagues.”

Not to be outdone, the Gamecocks addressed got some frontcourt help to make up for the season long absences of Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts. On December 22, French forward Alicia Tournebize agreed to join South Carolina and will be on the team following the holiday break. For those of us not familiar with her game, the amazing Hunter Cruse is here to help us out!

With Joyce Edwards playing at an All-American level, Tournebize will have time to get up to speed with Staley and the Gamecocks’ attack.

South Carolina is in great shape. Led by a legendary coach and featuring a deep roster, SC can win in a variety of ways. And with more resources coming in, they can expand their reach. There's still more work to do, but they're in great position to extend this historic run.

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