Betnijah Laney-Hamilton awarded to Mystics on waiver claim after Liberty release

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton didn’t last long on the free-agent market following her release from the New York Liberty. Laney-Hamilton landed on her feet quickly, claimed off waivers by the Washington Mystics, according to USA Today’s Meghan L. Hall.

The Mystics getting Laney-Hamilton could turn out to be impactful in the playoff race. Washington is currently part of a logjam that could result in finishing as high as fourth in the WNBA standings or eighth for the last playoff spot. The Mystics have won six consecutive games and eight of their past 10.

To clear a spot for Laney-Hamilton on their roster, the Mystics waived guard Rori Harmon. Harmon was the team’s third-round pick out of Texas.

It’s been a rocky season for Laney-Hamilton, who missed all of 2025 due to a knee injury. While she was able to return in time for the Liberty’s first game of the regular-season, Laney-Hamilton’s numbers were down across the board.

It didn’t take long for the Liberty to take notice. Laney-Hamilton started the team’s first four games before being moved to a reserve role and seeing limited minutes. In 17 games, Laney-Hamilton is averaging just 4.7 points, easily her lowest total since her 2020 breakout, when she won the Most Improved Player award.

But her season took an even stranger turn in July, when Laney-Hamilton was ejected from a game for throwing a teammate’s shoe at an opposing player. Laney-Hamilton said she was trying to get the shoe back to teammate Jonquel Jones, who lost it on a previous play.

However, Laney-Hamilton’s throw was off the mark, causing the shoe to hit Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey. Laney-Hamilton’s intention did not matter. She was assessed a technical foul and ejected from the game, which the Liberty went on to lose.

That proved to be Laney-Hamilton’s final moment with the Liberty. She did not play in the team’s next eight games due to a coach’s decision. With Laney-Hamilton suddenly out of a spot, there was some thought she would make for an interesting trade candidate at the deadline. No deal materialized, and the Liberty opted to release Laney-Hamilton on Aug. 6.

It was an unceremonious end to an otherwise excellent tenure with the team. Following her 2020 breakout, Laney-Hamilton signed with the Liberty and played a key role in the team turning things around.

In her first season with the team, Laney-Hamilton was selected to her first All-Star team. She averaged 16.8 points, leading the Liberty that season. The team improved its win-loss record by 10 games that year, though still posted a record under .500.

But the Liberty steadily improved, eventually going 32-8 and reaching the WNBA Finals in 2023. The team lost to the Las Vegas Aces that season, though Laney-Hamilton started every game of the Finals.

After posting an identical record in 2024, the Liberty once again reached the Finals, this time defeating the Minnesota Lynx to win the title. Laney-Hamilton once again started every single game in the Finals.

After missing all of 2025, the 32-year-old Laney-Hamilton was hoping to experience a resurgent comeback year with the Liberty. While that didn’t happen, Laney-Hamilton’s previous ability made her an intriguing option once she became available.

Now that she’s found a new team, it will be up to Laney-Hamilton to prove she still can recapture her old form after getting off to a rough start in 2026.