It seems like New York City picks no sides when it comes to showing its displeasure, and Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco now knows that treatment firsthand.

Ahead of the game against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, the 40-year-old DeMarco was booed by fans, which also prompted a response from Liberty star Breanna Stewart.

"Welcome to New York," Stewart said via WNBA reporter Myles Ehrlich on X.

It has been a frustrating season for the Liberty, and while they are 20-13, it just goes to show how high the standards are.

Along with that, waiving Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who is now with the Washington Mystics, has no doubt been met with a myriad of reactions from the basketball world on the matter. And Liberty fans are now also raising their voices.

There is no denying there has been disappointment with how Laney-Hamilton's situation was handled.

"There were sparse but vociferous boos for Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco during their starter intros. Fairly or not, the coach has become the face of the organization's management of the end of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's tenure. Fans made themselves heard," reporter Kris Pursiainen wrote on X.

But when reporters asked DeMarco about the booing, the Liberty head coach took things in a positive manner.

"They love their team. They want us to be successful, and we have had a lot of success, and we love our fans. It's crazy in there; you hear when we make a run," DeMarco said, via Myles Ehrlich.

But following the game, the fans had no reason to boo, as the Liberty prevailed against the reigning champions in a dominant fashion.

New York Liberty Showed Who's Boss

The Barclays Center witnessed a one-sided match from the start, as the Liberty outscored Las Vegas in the first quarter by nine points and did not look back.

They turned the heat up even more in the fourth quarter, where New York scored 37 points, while holding Las Vegas to just 20.

Stewart was once again the cornerstone of the Liberty's success, as she scored 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists to go along with a steal and a block in 23 minutes of action.

Meanwhile, Marine Johannes came off the bench and fired a game-high 27 points on the strength of her seven made shots from behind the arc.

However, it is worth noting that the Aces played without three of their best players, that being A'ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young, as they have an even more important game up next against the Minnesota Lynx.

The Liberty will now take a well-deserved rest on Monday before they are once again in action against Laney-Hamilton and the Mystics on Tuesday.

So, do you think the New York Liberty can catch up to the likes of the Aces or Lynx this season? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy