'Turning the page': Liberty open with rout vs. Sun...
Key takeaways
- NEW YORK -- The New York Liberty opened their 2026 campaign with a celebration of their 30th season, filling Barclays Center with '90s-esque tributes harkening back to the franchise's inaugural year in 1997.
- DeMarco, who comes to Brooklyn after spending over a decade as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, became the second head coach in WNBA history to win by 30 or more points in his head coaching debut.
- "We wanted to punch first," said two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, who finished with a dominant 31 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
NEW YORK -- The New York Liberty opened their 2026 campaign with a celebration of their 30th season, filling Barclays Center with '90s-esque tributes harkening back to the franchise's inaugural year in 1997.
But Friday's game was also about the beginning of something new under first-year head coach Chris De Marco, and that new era started about just as well as he could hope: New York steamrolled a rebuilding Connecticut Sun, 106-75, good for the franchise's largest-ever margin of victory in a season opener.
DeMarco, who comes to Brooklyn after spending over a decade as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors, became the second head coach in WNBA history to win by 30 or more points in his head coaching debut.