Liberty Star Undergoes Surgery

The New York Liberty will continue to be without Betnijah Laney-Hamiton, one of the WNBA's top two-way talents.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

The New York Liberty announced on Tuesday that forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton successfully underwent a "minor procedure" on her right knee, one that will have her back in action in four-to-six weeks.

The procedure was performed at the Hospital For Special Surgery under the watch of Dr. Riley J. Williams III, MD and Dr.Ben Nwachukwu, MD, MBA.

Laney-Hamilton had missed each of the Liberty's last three games with what head coach Sandy Brondello described as a "puffy" knee. She had already been ruled for Tuesday's game against the Connecticut Sun (7 p.m. ET, WWOR/Amazon Prime Video), the Liberty's last before the All-Star/Olympic break tips off.

Brandon Todd, NY Liberty

"I suppose the Olympic break is good for her," Brondello said prior to a Saturday win in Chicago. "We’re just mindful of it…we want her to go out there be as 100 percent as she can…the Olympic break is a good time to get what she needs.”

One of the longest-tenured New Yorkers, Laney-Hamilton has developed a sterling reputation as one of the top two-way players in the WNBA. In 18 appearances, Laney-Hamilton was averaging 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds next to 3.6 assists, her best output since her All-Star appearance with New York in 2021. Laney-Hamilton's defensive rating of 101 is also tied for the best in her career with her Chicago-based rookie season from 2015.

With Laney-Hamilton out, the Liberty (20-4) figure to continue employing WNBA rookie Leonie Fiebich in her starting slot. Fiebich has enjoyed a freshman breakout to the tune of 26 points and 10 rebounds over the last two games, which includes a 7-of-10 success rate from three-point range. The 24-year-old is set to join fellow New Yorker Nyara Sabally at the upcoming Olympic women's basketball tournament in Paris, where they'll each represent Germany.

Laney-Hamilton is part of a packed Liberty injury report as the second-place Sun visit for a battle between the WNBA's top-ranked teams. Sabally (back) and Kayla Thornton (neck) are listed as questionable, as is Breanna Stewart, who is likewise Paris-bound for the United States and was previously held out for precautionary reasons on Saturday.

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