NEW YORK — Betnijah Laney Hamilton did not look like her normal post-game self after the Liberty’s Commissioner’s Cup championship win over the Las Vegas Aces on June 30.
It wasn’t her expression that stood out. It was her appearance.
There wasn’t a single bead of sweat clinging to her forehead and her uniform showed no signs of the normal wear and tear of a title game after she earned her second “DNP” of the season. It was an unusual occurrence considering who Laney-Hamilton has been for the Liberty in big games over her five-year tenure with the franchise and who she was expected to be coming into 2026.
Three nights later she earned her second consecutive DNP and third of the season amid “We want Laney” chants from fans. That’s where Laney-Hamilton finds herself at the halfway point of her 11th year in the league.
“As a competitor, as somebody who’s worked really hard, as somebody who’s been a part of the organization for a long time, it can sometimes be disappointing and frustrating,” Laney-Hamilton said Tuesday before going scoreless in 15 minutes of the Liberty’s 88-77 loss to the Dallas Wings. “But, you know, that’s also part of the process.”
The Liberty’s roster depth and rotation decisions have left Laney-Hamilton, who has been with the franchise since 2021, in an unfamiliar position, and her inconsistent role prompts questions about her future with the team.
Tuesday was the clearest Laney-Hamilton’s been all season about her dissatisfaction with her current role in New York. But if coach Chris DeMarco can’t figure out a way to get her more minutes, what then?
There is interest in Laney-Hamilton in the trade market.
According to multiple sources who work in the league with knowledge of the situation, Laney-Hamilton’s name came up in trade talks at the beginning of the 2026 season but ultimately the asking price from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb was too high. At the halfway point in the season, those talks have gone quiet but that doesn’t mean she won’t be a candidate at the trade deadline on Aug. 2.
DeMarco said he’s in talks with Kolb every day regarding roster construction and potential trade opportunities but was adamant they “love” the Liberty’s roster as is.
Asked if she expects to be with the Liberty through the end of the season, Laney-Hamilton said, “We’re working on things.”
“I don’t know what everything looks like right now,” she added. “I’m just trying to take everything one step at a time and just stay in the moment. It’s been difficult, but today, right now I feel pretty good.”
After starting the first four games of the season, Laney-Hamilton has been relegated to a bench role in 10 of 11 appearances following a brief absence due to personal reasons. She’s averaging 17.6 minutes and 4.9 points per game — her fewest in both categories since 2019 with the Indiana Fever. And the Liberty (13-9) are 11-4 in games Laney-Hamilton has appeared in this season.
A key to the Liberty’s resurrection as a franchise, culminating in a 2024 title run, Laney-Hamilton missed the entire 2025 season as she recovered from surgery for a meniscus injury in her left knee that she sustained playing for Unrivaled. Kolb suspended her contract in a procedural move to free up cap space and provide added roster flexibility with an open spot. It also meant the Liberty would maintain exclusive negotiating rights over Laney-Hamilton in free agency this offseason.
She signed a one-year, $400,000 deal to return to the Liberty this offseason.
Early conversations between Laney-Hamilton and first-year coach Chris DeMarco indicated she would be a starter on this season’s Liberty’s star-studded roster, which only got deeper with the additions of forward Satou Sabally and undrafted rookie Pauline Astier in free agency.
The obvious challenges of returning from injury have been compounded by her inconsistent role in DeMarco’s system. In her 15 appearances, Laney-Hamilton has had a handful of bright spots in wins against the Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury earlier in the season. But she has yet to truly establish herself.
DeMarco attributed her two absences last week to a tightened rotation, but assured that the Liberty’s plans moving forward include her.
He turned to Laney-Hamilton on Tuesday night with forward Leonie Fiebich ruled out with foot soreness. She went 0-of-5 shooting in her first appearance since June 28.
Questions remain about what Laney-Hamilton’s role looks like with the Liberty long term, especially with a fully healthy roster.
DeMarco has deployed nine starting lineups this season as the Liberty have navigated injuries and absences throughout their first 22 games. He has favored a starting five with Fiebich and Marinne Johannes flanking either Sabrina Ionescu or Astier in the backcourt and Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones in the frontcourt. He’s also gone to a Astier, Fiebich and Ionescu starting backcourt and inserted Sabally when healthy.
Last week, after beating the Lynx without Laney-Hamilton in the rotation, DeMarco backed her.
“I still have confidence in her,” he said. “Our staff, players have confidence in her. She’s going to get her opportunity again.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
New York Liberty, WNBA
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