Betnijah Laney-Hamilton to miss several months after knee surgery

Unlike Breanna Stewart who underwent a “minor scope” on her right meniscus on March 13, Laney-Hamilton’s surgery was much more involved. The team revealed she can return to basketball activities between five and six months. The WNBA regular season begins on May 16  and ends on September 11. The last potential WNBA Finals game will be played on October 17.

Laney-Hamilton left 3×3 league Unrivaled abruptly on March 3 after joining the league just two weeks prior as a relief player. She shined in her Unrivaled debut, scoring 23 points on 10-for-17 shooting. She played in just two games for Laces Basketball Club while taking advantage of on-site player amenities in Miami. Laney-Hamilton explained to broadcaster Ros Gold-Onwude on her podcast Good Follow what her regimen was in Miami and how she appreciated having the ability to play pick up, work out, get up extra shots and have treatment all in one place. 

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While Unrivaled presented convenience for the players participating, the league struggled to keep its players healthy, including Laney-Hamilton, who was signed to a relief contract. This became a growing concern, according to multiple league sources, when reflecting upon Unrivaled’s first year.

Laney-Hamilton arrived in Miami following a WNBA postseason where she wasn’t 100%. She reinjured her other knee, the right one, in a collision with teammate Jonquel Jones just weeks before the 2024 postseason. She previously had a minor surgery, a loose body removal, on that right knee in mid-July. 

Laney-Hamilton has historically struggled with knees, dating back to 2016 when she tore her ACL playing for the Chicago Sky. After her All-Star campaign in 2021, she underwent a left knee arthroscopy that November, and then months later in training camp, she injured her right knee. What followed was a partial meniscectomy, and she was out for two months. Laney-Hamilton returned to play for the Liberty’s final bunch of regular season games in 2022, including their first-round playoff series against the Chicago Sky. 

While the Liberty will have to defend their title without Laney-Hamilton for most if not all of the 2025 season, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb made sure to assemble a roster full of versatile guards that can do bits and pieces of what Laney-Hamilton does for New York. 

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Marine Johannès, who re-signed with the team on March 22, can create offense, space the floor and playmake alongside Sabrina Ionescu. A few days earlier on Selection Sunday, the Liberty announced that Kolb successfully acquired Natasha Cloud for two first-round draft picks. 

Cloud is capable of defending multiple positions, including the point of attack, the wing, and occasionally the block against forwards, in a way very similar to Laney-Hamilton. While spacing won’t be as important to Cloud’s role, her gravity as a playmaker and driver will allow Ionescu to play minutes off the ball. 

And don’t forget about Leonie Fiebich, who, with Laney-Hamilton out for the foreseeable future, will presumably be New York’s starting small forward on opening day. Then, when Fiebich and Johannès are out of the WNBA for most of June because of the EuroBasket competition, there’s room for both Rebekah Gardner and sophomore Marquesha Davis to get meaningful minutes at both wing positions. 

While Gardner will be returning to play for the first time after she ruptured her achilles last year, she can defend positions one through three. She has a knack for slashing, cutting and hitting timely threes. Davis is a strong athlete who has the potential to make an impact on both sides of the ball. After a rookie year spent mostly learning how to be a pro and play for head coach Sandy Brondello, the Liberty have a prime opportunity to develop their 2024 No. 11 overall draft pick. 

Meanwhile, 2025 will be Laney-Hamilton’s final season on her current contract with the Liberty. Barring no labor strike, the majority of the league, including Laney-Hamilton will be unrestricted free agents in 2026. It all begs the question: has one of the Liberty’s longest-tenured players played her final game in seafoam and black? 

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