New York Liberty announce head coach Katie Smith's contract not renewed

Smith finishes her Liberty tenure with a cumulative record of 17-51.|Art or Photo Credit: AP

The New York Liberty announced Wednesday that head coach Katie Smith's contract will not be renewed for the 2020 season. The search for a new coach will begin immediately.

"On behalf of the entire Liberty organization, we want to thank Katie for her time with our franchise," said New York Liberty General Manager, Jonathan Kolb. "These decisions are never easy to make, but we felt it necessary to move our organization forward in a new direction. We wish her all the best."

Smith was named head coach of the New York Liberty on Oct. 16, 2017 after spending two seasons as an assistant to former head coach Bill Laimbeer. She assumed the role of associate head coach beginning with the 2016-17 campaign. In two seasons as head coach of the Liberty, she netted a cumulative record of 17-51.