Latest news with #Laney-Hamilton
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
3 way-too-early reasons why the New York Liberty won't repeat as WNBA champions
3 way-too-early reasons why the New York Liberty won't repeat as WNBA champions Will the New York Liberty repeat as WNBA champions? That's one of the biggest storylines of the 2025 season as it begins this week. The Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx last year in a thrilling five-game series to capture the franchise's first title. Though winning was a collective effort, star Sabrina Ionescu had a defining moment that changed the series. Also, finals MVP Jonquel Jones and her consistency were key to the team's success, along with unsung hero Nyara Sabally. MORE WNBA: 2025 WNBA betting: Odds, picks for win totals, playoffs, awards, more While New York's championship roster is largely untouched, the Liberty experienced an offseason of change, including trading for guard Natasha Cloud. So, inevitably, the questions will start. Will the Liberty run it back? Do they have enough talent and depth to overcome the field? Here are three reasons why the Liberty won't repeat as WNBA champions. Reasons why Liberty won't win the 2025 WNBA championship 1. The Liberty can't replace the production of Betnijah Laney Hamilton Liberty forward Betjinah Laney-Hamilton won't play this year. Laney-Hamilton suffered an offseason knee injury (left meniscus) while playing in Unrivaled. Despite missing 12 games in 2024 with right knee issues, the Liberty veteran was a trusted source of offensive production, often hitting timely buckets while averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds throughout the season. What's more, Laney-Hamilton is arguably one of the most underrated defenders at her position in the WNBA. She can be a lockdown defender while withstanding the physicality that teams often throw at her, which makes her game so special and hard to replicate. Anyone who they throw into her role (standout Leonie Feibich, or otherwise) might struggle to create impact on both sides of the ball like Laney-Hamilton does. 2. EuroBasket absences will impact the Liberty's mid-season progress In June, FIBA will hold the Women's EuroBasket tournament. It's expected to run from June 18 to June 29 and feature Europe's top basketball teams. The tournament will also feature many WNBA athletes, including three players from the Liberty. Leonie Fiebich, Marine Johannès and Nyara Sabally will all be away from the team. At a minimum, they will miss around six games during that stretch and possibly more, given travel time and needed practices with their home countries. While New York isn't the only team impacted across the league and could certainly withstand those absences, being without them could prove costly if the Liberty can't come out above .500 during that stretch. 3. Repeating as WNBA champions is hard to do As cliché as it sounds, winning a championship, let alone two back-to-back, is hard to do. In the history of the WNBA, there have only been three teams to win consecutive championships. The Houston Comets won four titles, earning rings from 1997 to 2000, and the Los Angeles Sparks won back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. Then, it took 21 years to get a repeat champion before the Las Vegas Aces did it in 2022 and 2023. The field will adjust in 2025. Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx will likely still be bitter about losing to New York the way they did. (Remember their meltdowns on defense and that questionable Game 5 Breanna Stewart foul?) Additionally, the Las Vegas Aces probably haven't forgotten about New York eliminating them from the playoffs and trolling the team on the way out. There are also teams like the Indiana Fever, Phoenix Mercury (and more) who made huge offseason acquisitions to contend with the Liberty. The target on their back has grown, and so have the expectations.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WNBA Star's Contract Suspended Days Before New Season
The 2025 WNBA preseason has come to a close, and teams are now making final roster cuts as the regular season inches closer. Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty, fresh off a WNBA championship win in 2024, went 1-1 in the preseason, missing Stewart for their only loss. Advertisement During the offseason, another Liberty standout, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, suffered a major knee injury during the inaugural Unrivaled season. In March, she underwent "surgery on her left knee to repair an acute meniscus injury," leaving her sidelined for five to six months. This procedure comes less than a year after having minor surgery on her right knee in July 2024, leaving her out for six weeks before returning for the playoff run. New York Liberty stars Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Betnijah Laney-HamiltonWendell Cruz-Imagn Images With Laney-Hamilton likely ruled out for the season, New York was forced to suspend her contract, according to WNBA reporter Khristina Williams. The two-time All-Defensive player is in the final year of a two-year, $365,400 deal. Advertisement This suspension means that Laney-Hamilton's "contract and roster spot won't count against the salary cap and will allow the Liberty to have 12 active players on opening day." "The New York Liberty have suspended (the contract of) Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for the 2025 season due to a non-WNBA injury," Williams wrote on X. "She suffered the injury while competing in the Unrivaled 3x3 basketball league and underwent surgery in March to repair a meniscus tear in her left knee." Joining the league in 2015, Laney-Hamilton bounced around numerous teams before joining New York for the 2021 WNBA season. In 2024, she averaged 11.8 points on 45.6% shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She also won the 2020 WNBA Most Improved Player award and made her only All-Star appearance the following year. Advertisement Despite missing their star, the Liberty did acquire Natasha Cloud from the Phoenix Mercury during the offseason. She should be able to help fill some of the void that is left with Laney-Hamilton's injury. The Liberty will open the regular season against the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET. Related: Chicago Sky Release Three of Angel Reese's Teammates on Sunday
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
New York Liberty Lose Star For Season
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss the 2025 WNBA season for the New York Liberty as she recovers from a knee injury. Laney-Hamilton suffered an acute meniscus injury to her left knee while playing in Unrivaled, the offseason 3-on-3 league. This is a major blow to the Liberty's hopes at defending their WNBA championship this season. Laney-Hamilton already has undergone surgery for the knee injury in March. She is slotted to be involved in a recovery timeline that ranges between five and six months. "Our hearts break for Betnijah that she will not be able to take the court this season," Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement, reported. "Betnijah gave us everything last season en route to becoming a WNBA champion. ... We will continue to ensure that she receives the best possible care throughout her rehabilitation process." Advertisement Laney-Hamilton, a 6-foot guard-forward, is a two-time all-WNBA defensive selection. She also was a 2021 WNBA All-Star and earned the league's 2020 Most Improved Player honor. Knee injuries have sidelined Betinah Laney-Hamilton in recent seasons for New York This is not the first time that the star player has had to deal with knee injuries. Last season, Laney-Hamilton missed 12 games because of right knee problems. She did average 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds last season. In the 2023 season, Laney-Hamilton played in the Liberty's entire 40-game regular season. In 2023, though, she only played in nine games because of a right knee injury. The Liberty have made the decision to suspend Laney-Hamilton's contract. This takes her salary off of the team's cap sheet. It also gives New York room to add a player before the WNBA regular season starts, making sure it has a full 12-player roster ready to go. Advertisement "We are fully confident that she's going to make a full return," Kolb said earlier in May. "She's going to have a great opportunity to be the healthiest she has been in some years." Laney-Hamilton will be present on Saturday when the Liberty players receive their WNBA championship rings. The team also will raise its championship banner to the Barclays Center rafters.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty ‘likely' to suspend Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's contract after suffering brutal knee injury
With Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said Saturday the team will 'more likely than not' be suspending the veteran forward's contract for the 2025 season. Laney-Hamilton, a member of the Liberty's championship starting lineup, had surgery in March on her left knee after suffering an acute meniscus tear at Unrivaled earlier this year. Laney-Hamilton has started the rehabilitation process but isn't expected to return to basketball activities until August or September, meaning she could miss most — if not all — of the WNBA season. 3 Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a left knee acute meniscus tear. Michelle Farsi/New York Post Kolb said his 'heart breaks' for Laney-Hamilton, who's not only been a vocal leader but also has been a pivotal part in the team's recent success of back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances, including a 2024 championship. The decision to ultimately suspend Laney-Hamilton's contract – which hasn't officially happened yet – is not one Kolb takes lightly. 'In terms of the season, I think it's fair to assume we will be suspending that contract,' Kolb said. 'We want to get to camp and to really understand what we have and make sure things are playing out the way we envisioned. We're navigating a lot this year. In addition to the things that we spoke on earlier with expansion and things like that, we've got EuroBasket. And we need to be really mindful and practical about not putting too much wear and tear on our existing players. That's really important and we need to be fully formed come September. That's where we need to be and we need to be hitting our stride.' Kolb made it clear that suspending Laney-Hamilton's contract is 'procedural' and should not be viewed in a negative light. 3 Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post By doing so, though, the Liberty will open a roster spot and remove her $185,400 salary from the team's books, giving the team flexibility to add another player for this season. The Liberty will also have exclusive negotiating rights with Laney-Hamilton for what's expected to be a chaotic free agency cycle in 2026, Kolb said. An Unrivaled source previously told The Post that the new 3-on-3 basketball league would cover Laney-Hamilton's 2025 WNBA salary in the case the Liberty suspend her. 3 Betnijah Laney-Hamilton shoots during the 2024 playoffs. Michelle Farsi/New York Post Removing Laney-Hamilton from the Liberty's 2025 picture could also be the best thing for the 31-year-old who has a lengthy history with knee injuries. Laney-Hamilton has now undergone at least four knee surgeries since November 2021. She injured her right knee early during the 2022 season and was limited to only nine games. When she returned in August of that season, she played well but didn't have established on-court chemistry with her teammates. Last season, she had another minor procedure and missed 12 games but returned for the playoffs, where she averaged 27.3 minutes per game. Sitting out this season would put Laney-Hamilton in the best position for future success. 'We were fully confident that she's going to make a full return,' Kolb said. 'And she's going to have a great opportunity to be the healthiest that she's been in some years.' The Liberty are anticipating three players to temporarily leave the team in June to play in this year's EuroBasket. Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich are expected to play for Germany, while Marine Johannes is set to suit up for France in the international tournament which will run from June 18-29.
Reuters
01-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Liberty F Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (knee) could miss season
April 1 - New York Liberty forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will be sidelined for five to six months following knee surgery. The reigning WNBA champions confirmed Monday that the veteran underwent a procedure in March to repair an acute meniscus injury in her left knee. The Liberty's regular season runs from May 17 through Sept. 11, putting Laney-Hamilton in danger of missing the entire campaign. Laney-Hamilton, 31, sustained the injury while competing in the new Unrivaled 3-on-3 league. She averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 28 games (25 starts) for New York during the 2024 regular season. She scored 20 points in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals, an 80-66 win that evened the series as the Liberty went on to defeat the Minnesota Lynx in five games for the franchise's first title. Laney-Hamilton has career averages of 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 234 games (155 starts) with the Chicago Sky (2015-16), Connecticut Sun (2018), Indiana Fever (2019), Atlanta Dream (2020) and Liberty. She was the league's Most Improved Player in 2020 and made the All-Star team in her first season with New York in 2021. She made the All-Defensive first team in 2020 and the second team in 2023. --Field Level Media
