Laney-Hamilton re-‘Sparks’ Liberty

Forward returns from injury to provide two-way help

August 28, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's return to the Liberty lineup further bolstered the WNBA's "Superteam" on its path to the top overall seed in next month's playoffs. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

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The New York Liberty hardly seemed to miss starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton while they were riding a season high-tying eight-game winning streak from early July to late August.

Just don’t tell them that.

The “best two-way player in the league,” as Liberty coach Sandy Brondello is fond of calling her, spent most of that time recovering from surgery on her right knee and preparing to help the Liberty continue their drive for the first championship in franchise history.

After dropping its first game in seven weeks to the Connecticut Sun at Downtown’s Barclays Center last Saturday, New York (26-5) was in need of a boost Monday night in Phoenix.

Laney-Hamilton provided one with 27 minutes of “two-way” work off the bench.

“I think she just helps our defense so much,” Liberty point guard Courtney Vandersloot said of the 2023 WNBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.

“She really set the tone early as soon as she subbed in. I think she was getting deflections and steals.”

The 30-year-old Rutgers alum accounted for three of New York’s 12 steals while helping to “blitz” Phoenix center Brittney Griner, who scored a game-high 22 points but was denied more touches by a collapsing Liberty defense.

Laney-Hamilton provided some help on offense as well, finishing with nine points while handing out three assists, two of which led directly to baskets by Vandersloot when New York stretched a four-point lead into a 17-point cushion in the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot Philadelphia native also fed Sabrina Ionescu for a 3-pointer during the final period and buried her own 23-footer with 1:16 to play to settle matters after Phoenix made a late push to cut the deficit to single digits.

“On the offensive end, she gives us another playmaker, aggressive to the rim, puts pressure on the defense,” Vandersloot continued to gush of her returning teammate.

“So, yeah, it was great to have her back. She looked like she looked really good, I think she fits in well.”

Former All-Star Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s defense and passing sparked New York past Phoenix Monday night. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

Laney-Hamilton stopped playing after a July 6 loss at Indiana.

She took the final two games before the Olympic break off to rest her sore right knee, but surgery was performed just before some of her Liberty teammates and her coach took off for Paris in the middle of the month.

Brondello noted before Monday’s win over the Mercury how important a member of the team Laney-Hamilton has been during her four-year tenure in New York.

“We’ve missed her and while it’s great that we’re able to maintain and continue to get better in her absence, we know that she’ll take us to another level with what she brings us,” Brondello predicted.

Laney-Hamilton wasn’t with the Liberty when they returned from the Olympics and cruised to a 103-68 rout of the Sparks in Los Angeles on Aug. 15.

But she could be back in her starting role when New York comes back to crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night in the middle contest of the Liberty’s three-game West Coast swing.

“It’s great to have B back,” Brondello said. “We’re excited for her now.”

The league-worst Sparks (6-24) might not be as eager to see Laney-Hamilton, especially after watching the Liberty blow past them without her two weeks ago.

Reigning WNBA Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart poured in 27 points that night and Ionescu added 18 points as New York ran out to a 29-10 lead after 10 minutes en route to beating the Sparks for the eighth straight time and third this year.

Los Angeles appeared primed to end its second-longest losing streak of the year Sunday in Dallas before blowing a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to the Wings in a 113-110 defeat.

Odyssey Sims scored 26 points for the Sparks, but 24 of them came during the first quarters before she and her teammates absorbed their seventh consecutive loss.

Los Angeles dropped eight in a row from June 11 to July 2.

The Sparks haven’t beaten the Liberty since July 3, 2022 in L.A.

Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET

Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart torched L.A. for 27 points on Aug. 15 as New York beat the Sparks for the eighth straight time. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

GIVE ME LIBERTY: Laney-Hamilton needs two more steals to reach 200 for her career. … Ionescu needs two assists to pass Vickie Johnson for the second-most in franchise history. … After taking on the Sparks, the Liberty will compete their road trip in Seattle on Friday in the opener of a home-and-home series that will be completed at Barclays Center next Thursday.