New York Liberty standout Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will miss the 2025 WNBA season as she recovers from an offseason knee injury, the team announced Wednesday.
Laney-Hamilton suffered an acute meniscus injury to her left knee while playing in Unrivaled, the new 3-on-3 league co-founded by Liberty teammate Breanna Stewart and Minnesota's Napheesa Collier. Laney-Hamilton underwent surgery in March, with an announced recovery timeline of five to six months.
Known for her perimeter defense, toughness and ability to hit clutch shots, the 6-foot guard-forward is a two-time all-defensive selection, a 2021 All-Star and the WNBA's 2020 Most Improved Player.
"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. "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."
Kolb revealed earlier this month that it was "more likely than not" New York would suspend her contract, which is a procedural term. Doing so removes her salary from New York's cap sheet, opens up a roster spot and helps the Liberty to carry a league-maximum 12 players on opening day.
It also allows New York to maintain her exclusive negotiation rights heading into 2026, when most of the league is set to hit free agency.
Laney-Hamilton has dealt with knee injuries throughout her career, missing 12 games last season because of right knee issues, though she still averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists when on the floor. She played all 40 contests in 2023 for the Liberty, but the year prior was limited to just nine games after suffering a right knee injury.
"We are fully confident that she's going to make a full return," Kolb said earlier this month. "She's going to have a great opportunity to be the healthiest she has been in some years."
He elaborated on the Liberty's decision to suspend Laney-Hamilton's contract, saying, "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 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."
The Liberty are expecting to be without Marine Johannes, Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally for part of June while they represent their respective countries at the EuroBasket competition.
The team said Laney-Hamilton will be present Saturday when the Liberty celebrate their first WNBA title with a ring ceremony and raise a championship banner.