“That is some of the most beautiful basketball we’ve seen in WNBA history,” ESPN’s Holly Rowe said after New Liberty went band for band with the Lynx to win the 2024 WNBA title. Central to that championship run was Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, whose impactful performances off the bench delivered timely scoring and tenacious defense, cementing her role as a vital cog in the team’s success. With one year remaining on her $365,000 contract, she was primed to return for the 2025 season and help steer the Liberty toward a repeat campaign. However, an unexpected injury sustained during her participation in Unrivaled has thrown a wrench into those plans. The injury not only sidelines a key veteran but also forces the Liberty to reconfigure their strategy without one of their most reliable two-way players. Can they adapt quickly enough to keep their championship momentum alive?

Laney-Hamilton has been a core piece for the Liberty the last two years, with only Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu averaging more minutes for New York last season. She will miss the entire 2025 season after she had surgery on her meniscus injury. She was not even supposed to play in the Unrivaled; she joined the Laces on a “relief player” contract in February. After just two games, Laney was down with a season-ending injury. The WNBA franchise knew immediately that she wouldn’t be taking part in the coming season, as the team traded two first-round picks for Natasha Cloud, who acts like her replacement in terms of role.

The GM, Jonathan Kolb, made an announcement that meant that the NY Liberty will suspend Laney Hamilton’s contract for the upcoming season. “It takes that money off of our cap. We’re able to carry 12 players, and then we also maintain negotiating rights next year,” Kolb said before Saturday’s training camp practice at Barclays Center. “So as we take all that into account,. You know, I think it’s more likely than not, that by the start of the season, that will be the thing.”

Since the WNBA rosters are still so tight, with a maximum of 12 players and a salary cap of  $1,507,100 for 2025, it was a no-brainer from the franchise’s side to suspend Laney’s contract. This way, they clear her salary from the cap and open up a roster spot while allowing the team to maintain control of her player rights. On the flip side, Laney-Hamilton is not guaranteed her full salary for the 2025 season. The Liberty would also control her player rights without having to issue a qualifying offer during free agency next year.

Fortunately, Unrivaled has her covered money-wise; with all the corporate deals and sponsors the league has, it can afford to pay any player insurance, too. According to Front Office Sports women’s basketball insider Annie Costabile, there is a special detail. The league is willing to cover the pay of any player who will miss playing in the WNBA  because of an injury in the league.  In the case of Laney-Hamilton, she is owed  $185,000, which will be covered by Unrivaled.

So it’s a win-win: the franchise doesn’t have to pay money to a player who will not contribute to the team, and the player still gets all of her salary. The franchise, of course, knew about the Unrivaled contract conditions and had already talked with Laney before making the public announcement.

Who will replace Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in the New York Liberty roster?

It’s clear now that the Liberty rotation will see changes from the 2024 rotation; they also lost key bench player Kayla Thornton in the expansion draft. With Hamilton out too, they can explore a couple of options till the deadline of May 15, when they have to announce their final roster.

The Liberty currently has 14 players under contract and is expected to cut 2 or 3 more players ahead of the May 15th deadline. They currently have three veterans on guaranteed contracts. Out of the 11 players, at least two have to be cut, but WNBA teams only keep 11 in their final rosters to save cost, but since such a huge chunk of that salary is gone, they might even keep the 12. Kennedy Burke’s odds of sticking just shot up as the team scrambles to plug the hole left by Thornton’s exit.

“I’ve been a versatile player all my life so I’m kind of used to it,” Burke has said. “So I’m excited to step into that role for a bigger team, a better team.” So, she is definitely up to the task for a better role in the team, so expect her 12.1 minutes per game to definitely go up.

And don’t count out Rebekah Gardner either — the defensive ace just got a boost, with freed-up cap space giving her a clearer path to hang around. She is coming off an injury-ridden period, but her versatility is a prized asset for coach Sandy Brondello, as he has said. “And imagine if we had her last year. She’s versatile.” 

Isabelle Harrison will also have some reinvigorated hope of a better role within the team. Coming from the Chicago Sky, she averaged 6.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game last season, being the priority off the bench. Young guards Jaylyn Sherrod and Marquesha Davis could also lock in a spot in the final roster.

They could also look towards the international market and sign some new talent, but that would be a blow to the morale of the team. You picked a specific group of people in the draft and, through trades, to represent you. It would be heartbreaking for those who get cut for new recruits, as it shows a lack of trust. Regardless, they still have time to decide, depending on how the players are performing in the ongoing training camp.