New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton seemingly suffered an injury during the Unrivaled Basketball league this WNBA offseason. Laney-Hamilton played an important role in the Liberty's 2024 championship season, but her injury timeline for 2025 is currently uncertain. A spokesperson for the Liberty reportedly reached out to The New York Post and provided a statement on the situation.
"We are gathering information and determining best next steps with our medical staff. Further updates will be provided when available," the spokesperson said, via Madeline Kenney of The New York Post.
In the 2024 WNBA campaign, Laney-Hamilton recorded per game averages of 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per outing. She also shot 45.6 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the arc.
She was not originally going to play in Unrivaled, but joined late in the season to provide relief for the Laces, her Unrivaled team. Laney-Hamilton ultimately appeared in two games, averaging 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest.
The Liberty are certainly hopeful that she will be ready to play in the 2025 WNBA season. As mentioned, though, her injury timeline is unclear at the moment. As the Liberty spokesperson said, updates will be provided as they are made available.
Liberty preparing for 2025 WNBA season amid Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's injury
The Liberty feature plenty of depth on their roster. Still, they are certainly hopeful that Laney-Hamilton's injury is not too serious. The injury itself has yet to be revealed. The only information on the matter that is currently available to the public is that Laney-Hamilton will not play in the remainder of the Unrivaled 2025 season.
One of the concerns about Unrivaled was the potential for injuries. However, players have participated in leagues throughout the years during the offseason. They are aware of the injury risks. It is not an ideal situation, as teams would likely prefer for their players to rest, but the Unrivaled Basketball league has been a success for the most part. The league still has room to improve, and the injury potential is an unfortunate possible side effect, but players seem to be content with the league overall.
Meanwhile, the Liberty will closely monitor Laney-Hamilton's situation ahead of the upcoming '25 campaign. The 31-year-old forward will have time to recover, as the WNBA season does not begin until May. Perhaps an injury timeline will be revealed soon.