Liberty Revel, Rise in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Return

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's return to the New York Liberty lived up to the hype.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

The play's "Hamilton" refused to give away her shot. The New York Liberty's star of the same partial surname is encouraging ... if not downright enforcing ... others to throw away theirs.

Laney-Hamilton's sneakers touched official WNBA hardwood for the first time since July 6 on Monday night, as she returned for the Liberty's visit to Phoenix after undergoing a knee procedure at the Hospital for Special Surgery. Her return lived up to the hype, as she played a major role on both sides of the ball in an 84-70 victory over the hosting Phoenix Mercury at Footprint Center.

"It's great to have Bee back," head coach Sandy Brondello said in the aftermath. "She's one of the best two-way players in the league. She adds so much to our team, and you saw it (tonight). Defensively, she's picking up 90 feet, and then she makes it on the end, so it was good. I think the more minutes she played, the more in rhythm she got, but we know she'll get even more rhythm the more games that we play."

Brandon Todd, NY LIberty

Laney-Hamilton did not take her usual place in the starting five on Monday but did find herself among the Liberty closers that withstood some final Phoenix rallies. In the fourth, Laney-Hamilton contributed to 12 of the final 25 Liberty points with five tallies of her own and assists on three other successful sinks.

The final stand was made possible thanks to some strong early defense from Laney-Hamilton, including a strong, one-woman press in the early going that prevented the Mercury from generating any momentum after clawing back from an early deficit. Laney-Hamilton ended the night with three steals and she helped force 22 Phoenix turnovers that yielded a third of New York's 84 points. That came just two nights after an eight-game winning streak ended when the Liberty took only nine from the Connecticut Sun.

Though there some readjusting to the bubbling metropolitan chemistry may be required ... there's plenty of chances to do so with nine regular season games left on the Liberty docket ... Laney-Hamilton's unwavering prep is apparently enough for Brondello to, a least publicly, eschew an expected minutes restriction in her return.

To that end, Laney-Hamilton got just over 27 minutes in her return to action on Monday. While not perfect (Natasha Cloud got a little too comfortable on the outside), her returns served as the catalyst and match for another potential winning streak that could seal the top spot on the WNBA playoff bracket.

"She really set the tone early," Courtney Vandersloot lauded. "As soon as she subbed in, I think she was getting deflections and steals. On the offensive end, she gives us another playmaker (who's) aggressive to the rim, puts pressure on the defense. It was great to have her back."

It's perhaps easy for Laney-Hamilton to get lost in the fold considering her relatively humble origins: as a 2021 arrival, Laney-Hamilton originally joined New York after a breakout campaign in the Bradenton bubble, one that won her the Association's Most Improved Player title. Some high-profile arrivals, like Vandersloot, perhaps forced her to take on a reduced role from a box score perspective, but her impact on Liberty's present and recent past has been undeniable.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

"She's been an all star for this organization. She's given us that defensive presence," Brondello said before Monday's game. "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."

"We're excited for her now. Obviously we she's not going to come out and probably be the normal Bee ... but the sooner we can get her back in the flow, that it's going to help us."

Laney-Hamilton is set to take the floor again on Wednesday night when the Liberty (26-5) continue a three-game western swing against the Los Angeles Sparks (10 p.m. ET, WNYW).

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