New York Liberty supports injured star

BROOKYLN– It would have taken a lot of effort to silence the 15,393 spectators at the Barclays Center for the WNBA Finals rematch between the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. The sad realization came in the early stages of a thrilling final phase.

Trying to protect a dwindling fourth-quarter lead against the Aces, the Liberty suffered a loss before the final whistle when Betnijah Laney-Hamilton fell to the floor in pain after colliding with teammate Jonquel Jones on a drive. While New York tried to prevent Las Vegas from capitalizing on the resulting turnover, Laney-Hamilton stayed on the other end, holding his right knee, which had already undergone surgery earlier this season.

Normality soon returned to Atlantic Avenue: Laney-Hamilton walked, albeit cautiously, to the Liberty bench and New York eventually pulled out a narrow 75-71 victory that secured a ruthless victory over the team that won the WNBA Finals last fall. But a near-collapse and the uncertainty surrounding Laney-Hamilton's absence left the postgame mood somber.

“She was in the locker room, we're just praying she's OK,” said head coach Sandy Brondello. “She got hit pretty hard. We'll see what the doctor says. She's going to be re-evaluated now.”

Laney-Hamilton is one of the lasting building blocks in the Liberty's path to their current competitive status. She joined the team in 2021 after a breakout season with the Indiana Fever in the Bradenton bubble. In New York, she has established herself as one of the best two-way players in the modern Association. Injuries limited her to nine games in her second season in Brooklyn, but she returned and played all 40 games en route to last season's WNBA Finals, averaging 12.8 points and earning second-team All-Defensive honors.

Now, New York, looking to make up for last season's championship deficits, is holding its breath with a question mark over Laney-Hamilton's status. This season has been cruel for Laney-Hamilton, who was out for over a month following the previous procedure, though most of that was lost due to the concurrent All-Star/Olympic break.

Laney-Hamilton returned to action late last month and her impact was evident from the start: Notably, she tallied 26 points as a relief pitcher in New York's 98-85 win over the Seattle Storm on August 30. Sunday's game was her second in the starting lineup, replacing rookie sensation Leonie Fiebich.

“I think she gives us that defensive presence,” Brondello said ahead of the visit to Las Vegas. “She's great, she's got that physicality. She gives us another playmaker that we're looking to develop going forward… the ball was in her hands a little more so she can initiate some of our attacks. I think that's good for us. She's another player that we can get the ball to on the block.”

Laney-Hamilton's impact was felt even in her absence: While she was resting her knee on the other end, Las Vegas hit a three-pointer that cut the Liberty's lead to five. The Aces beat New York 20-11 in a mostly Laney-less final period, but the Liberty were able to pull away just enough to claim the season-winning victory over the defending champions.

There's no doubt, however, that the floodgates could have been stemmed by Laney-Hamilton's unique skill set: Laney-Hamilton's fourth-quarter defensive rating (84.8) among women with at least 20 games and five minutes played is second only to teammate Courtney Vandersloot. Her net rating of 23.9 is second only to Vandersloot in the same category.

Breanna Stewart, who had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, knew there was no better way to honor Laney-Hamilton's memory than with a big win: As expected, New York (29-6) held Vegas off the goal for the final 1:54 minutes and took the win.

“When someone goes down like that, it's a concern,” Stewart said. “We know she wants us to focus and win the game. That was really the right attitude. (Kayla Thornton) started the game and gave us the same energy. Injuries are tough and hopefully she's OK.”

“It didn't look funny, it didn't look good. But she's strong. She got through it,” added Sabrina Ionescu. “She always managed to get back on her feet. We don't think it's anything too serious, so we're just going to give her a big hug.”

Monday may bring the most revealing news yet on Laney-Hamilton when New York returns to action Tuesday night against the Dallas Wings (8 p.m. ET, CBSSN).

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