New York Liberty star Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a knee injury during the Unrivaled season. The injury is expected to keep her out of action for a significant portion of the WNBA season. As a result, the Liberty officially suspended her contract on Wednesday, Jackie Powell reports.
"Via transactions, the New York Liberty have officially suspended Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's contract. Remember this just means her contract and roster spot won't count against the salary cap and will allow the Liberty to have 12 active players on opening day," Powell wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
If the Liberty did not make this move, then their roster would be limited. They would not be able to have 12 available players to begin the 2025 season. Suspending Laney-Hamilton's contract gives the team an extra roster spot.
Laney-Hamilton underwent surgery in March. She is expected to miss at least five months. The Liberty will certainly miss her presence on the floor.
Liberty will be without Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for significant amount of time
The 31-year-old, who earned an All-Star selection in 2021, has played in New York with the Liberty for the past four seasons. Despite being limited to 28 games played (25 starts) in 2024, Laney-Hamilton made an immense impact. She averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per outing. Laney-Hamilton also shot 45.6 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc.
She also offers versatility. Laney-Hamilton can play shooting guard or small forward. At 6'0", she is capable of guarding multiple positions. She impacts the game in multiple ways without question. Having Laney-Hamilton on the floor makes life easier for stars such as Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones.
With that said, Laney-Hamilton is also a star. She may not receive as much attention as the aforementioned players, but she is a former All-Star for a reason. Her ability to contribute in different facets of the game makes her a difficult player to matchup against.
New York features enough depth to still compete despite her absence. Still, the Liberty will certainly miss having her on the floor.
New York will begin its 2025 WNBA regular season on Saturday afternoon at 1 PM EST against the Las Vegas Aces. The Liberty will open their season at home before heading on the road for a matchup against the Sky in Chicago on Thursday night. The reigning WNBA champions would unquestionably love to begin their season on a positive note.