THE NEW YORK LIBERTY BEGIN A NEW ADVENTURE

The New York Liberty is entering into a new era.

On December 10, the team officially introduced Chris DeMarco as the tenth head coach in franchise history. DeMarco joins the franchise and WNBA after over a decade as a championship-winning assistant head coach with the Golden State Warriors on the NBA side.

This is DeMarco’s first time being a professional head coach, and it’s a challenge he’s excited for

“I'm really collaborative,” DeMarco said. “It's not just going to be my voice. Our staff is going to mirror my ideas and sometimes not, but we're going to be on the same page, and everyone on staff is going to have a speaking role. I am intense, but I'm also very clear about what it is we're trying to accomplish, and it is going to be a player-driven team.

Our first meeting isn't going to be “hey, this is what we're doing.” We're going to get with the leaders of the team, we're going to get with the entire roster, and we're going to decide how we want to do this together. And I've always found that player-driven teams have more success.”

With the coaching cycle complete, the WNBA enters 2026 with zero Black women head coaches. It’s a subject Erica L. Ayala and I discussed in depth on the latest edition of Gotta Get Up!

The Liberty is in a pretty unique situation. Assuming most of the roster, they are still WNBA championship contenders. With stars like Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu along with the returning Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Leonie Fiebich, the Liberty have a championship quality starting five that DeMarco can turn to.

For Jonathan Kolb and Liberty leadership, they have to figure out where they can improve the roster and solve some of their troubles from 2025. DeMarco’s player development experience should go a long way in steering the Liberty down a new, exciting path.

Even with his track record of success, this hire represents a risk. A first-time WNBA head coach tasked with leading a title contender is a hard ask. The Liberty has a lot of support in place for DeMarco to succeed, and it'll be exciting to see how he guides the Liberty into the future.

As the WNBA continues to grow, it has to create a pipeline for all coaching talent to be in the league and assume leadership positions. By doing so, they reward players that have helped get the league to this moment and allow for even more diverse coaches and coaching styles in the league.

A’JA WILSON IS THE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

2025 was perhaps the best year of A’ja Wilson’s professional career. She won her:

A’ja Wilson entered the basketball pantheon as her name credibly stands next to giants such as Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and LeBron James. At just 29 years old, Wilson has even more great basketball ahead of her as she hopes to cement the Las Vegas Aces’ status as one of the best teams in basketball history. Before she returns to the hardwood, she received two amazing honors.

Wilson was named Time Magazine’s Athlete of the Year, Sporting News’ Female Athlete of the Year, and the Associated Press’ Female Athlete of the Year. For Wilson, the awards represent a recognition of her status as the best player in the game and one of basketball’s all-time greats. Even with all of her accolades, the meaning of A’ja goes beyond what we see with an analytical lens we see on the court.

“I realized her greatest impact isn’t what I see, it’s what Zhuri sees,” James said. “A’ja Wilson is the definition of female Black excellence, and I am so grateful she is giving my daughter the kind of inspiration I got from Michael Jordan and Ken Griffey Jr.”

Wilson is one of the faces and leaders of the WNBA. Her excellence on the court is record-setting. Her determination and perseverance off the court have made her a mainstream star. As she continues her journey, awards like these serve as perfect acknowledgements of her greatness.

MAKING OUR WAY TO CONFERENCE PLAY

Here are the latest Top 25 rankings in women’s college basketball

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6

THE ACES AND DEARICA HAMBY SETTLE THEIR LAWSUIT

One of the biggest controversies in the WNBA has been resolved.

On December 12, Colin Salao of Front Office Sports was first to report that the lawsuit in which Hamby alleged that the Las Vegas Aces discriminated against her due to her pregnancy in 2022 has been mutually dismissed. The two sides dismissed the case with prejudice, which means it can never be filed again.

Hamby isn’t allowed to discuss the case, but did tell Front Office Sports that “I stand by what I said” and “The case is resolved.”

The entire saga shone a light on protections for mothers in women’s sports. Earlier this year, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus spoke about the stigma facing mothers in women’s sports and the lack of support they receive. Too often, women have to make the choice between their families and their careers, which is deeply unfair and something they shouldn’t have to do. It’s up to leagues like the WNBA to create healthy environments that allow players to raise their families without fear of reprisal.

As Collective Bargaining Agreement talks go into double overtime, family benefits remain at the front of everyone’s minds. The WNBA is continuing to expand at a rapid rate, and they have to make sure they do everything they can to support players on the court and at home.

At Black Rosie Media, we love to give flowers to other writers and creators in the women’s basketball community.

Here’s what we’re reading:

If you enjoyed this newsletter, consider subscribing to receive the latest updates from Black Rosie Media directly in your inbox—it's completely FREE! Feel free to share this with a friend so they can also stay informed.

Join our Black Rosie Media Slack Channel to interact directly with our contributors, participate in game-day chats, and much more!

You can also connect with us on BlueSky, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube!