Liberty 2023 Player Preview: Betnijah Laney

The New York Liberty's "superteam" revolution unofficially began with Betnijah Laney's arrival two years ago.

The New York Liberty are set to embark upon one of the most anticipated seasons in franchise, if not WNBA, history. Fresh off consecutive playoff appearances, the Liberty made several moves that have some observers labeling them a "superteam" that could yield the organization's first championship after over two decades of waiting.

All Knicks will have coverage of the Liberty's quest for WNBA hardware as tip-off looms on Friday night in Washington (7 p.m. ET, WWOR/NBA TV) before the Brooklyn opener against Indiana two days later. With the opening-night roster officially unveiled, AK will feature play-by-player previews leading into the weekend.

All-Stars star to dot the seafoam skies in our Liberty previews, as next up is Betnijah Laney ...

Name: Betnijah Laney
Height/Weight: 6-0, 166 lbs.
College: Rutgers
Experience: 8th season (3rd with Liberty)

The Story So Far

It's probably such a Brooklyn cliche, but Laney's Brooklyn arrival was part of the "superteam" concept before it was cool. The Piscataway alumna was the first big name brought in after the team hit the jackpot at the Sabrina Ionescu-centered lottery, brought in alongside Pacific Northwest champions Natasha Howard and Sami Whitcomb. Laney herself had cashed in a pleasurable business trip to Florida, having earned the Association's Most Improved Player Award while repping Atlanta during the Bradenton bubble endeavor.

A WNBA nomad for her first five seasons, Laney was the Liberty's headliner while Ionescu worked off de facto freshman rust and early, nagging overuse injuries. She reached 20 points in each of her first four New York appearances and earned her first All-Star nomination for her efforts.

Alas, Laney was unable to build further momentum last season: knee issues limited her to only nine games and she was hardly at the elite form she's made a norm over the past two seasons. Glimpses of that Laney were present over the final stages of the season: she put up 17 points on 5-of-10 from the field in the Liberty's penultimate game of the regular season against Atlanta before earning double-figures in two of the three playoff showings against Chicago, the first tallying 17 with five assists and rebounds each in the upset Game 1 victory. Making the late charges all the more impressive was the hint that Laney took on a sped-up surgical procedure to make sure she could partake in the stretch run.

"I've had about three other surgeries...this was just another one of those," Laney said in late year's closing statements. "For me, I wanted to get back out there and I wanted to help my teammates any way I could. It was a little bit of everything." 

They Said It

"It's something that I definitely appreciate. I think (management) understands that we (all) have a goal. We all want to win a championship. Stef (Dolson) has already done that, so she brings that experience. She knows what that takes. I'm still trying to get there, but I'm fighting like hell."-Laney on sticking around with the current Liberty group

"I've known Betnijah since I was 14 at U16 USA basketball campe...to see her come into the WNBA, figure out where her footing is and find success is amazing. Her fight, her grit has never stopped. I'm excited to be on her side."-Breanna Stewart on collaborating with Laney

Outlook

Time will tell if Laney will linger in the starting five or come off the bench. Either way, coming off an injury-riddled 2022 campaign should put the rest of the Eastern Conference on notice as she's allowed to play with a sense of relatively reckless abandon. 

Even with the heartbreaking ending and personal medical demons chasing her, Laney felt that last season, complete with a playoff cameo, was vital for the team's success moving forward. 

"I think we saw glimpses of how great we can be, regardless of what was going on...regardless of any obstacle," Laney said. "Making that playoff push was really good for us. If we had everyone the entire season, we'd probably still be playing right now." 

Previous Previews

• Stef Dolson
• Nyara Sabally
• Kayla Thornton
• Jocelyn Willoughby
• Han Xu

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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