In the New York Liberty’s ongoing winning spree, Chris DeMarco hasn’t hesitated to make some eye-catching decisions. For the second consecutive game, DeMarco has benched veteran Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, a decision that has caught the WNBA community’s attention. When asked about it after the Minnesota win on Friday, DeMarco provided a clear-cut assessment of his decision.

“We obviously didn’t play a lot of players tonight,” DeMarco said, as per B/R W Sports. “I still have confidence in her. Our staff and players still have confidence in her. She’s going to get her opportunity again. Like, we believe in her. It’s just didn’t to her tonight. But we know what she can do, and we’ll get there.”

Notably, the NY Liberty head coach was asked about his decision not to deploy Laney-Hamilton in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, which the Liberty won 93-85. While answering, DeMarco leaned towards rotational factors as the reason for benching her.

“We tightened up the rotation a little bit tonight,” DeMarco had said, as per reporter Myles Ehrlich. “But she’s still gonna be a part of this [group] going forward.” 

Resting his faith and belief in Laney-Hamilton is a sentiment that Chris DeMarco has maintained throughout his assessment. And rightly so, the 32-year-old has remained one of the most formidable backcourt players for Liberty. She has consistently averaged 10+ points during her stint in the franchise and has dictated the backcourt with Sabrina Ionescu.

But the numbers tell the story that Laney-Hamilton’s minutes have been significantly lower this season than in 2023 and 2024.

Coming off an injury-riddled year where Laney-Hamilton has missed the entire 2025 season due to a meniscus injury in her left knee, the Liberty guard is averaging just over 17 minutes in 2026. She has played 14 games in the season while starting just five. Against it, Laney-Hamilton was averaging over 30 minutes per game in her previous seasons with the Liberty.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s availability has been a major reason behind her limited minutes this season as well. The Liberty veteran missed multiple games owing to left knee injury management and personal reasons. And now, DeMarco’s decision to bench her has only made her struggling season worse.

The numbers echo that as well. In the 14 games she has played, Laney-Hamilton has averaged just 5.3 points per game while recording 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Furthermore, she’s scoring just north of 37% from the field, which is well below her average over the last five seasons, per ESPN.

However, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s struggles aren’t limited to basketball or to substantial game time under head coach Chris DeMarco. Instead, it goes much beyond that.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s Comeback Season Has Been Nothing Short of a Steep Slope So Far

Returning from an injury-laden season is never easy for any basketball player. After all, it needs time to build up the same pace, momentum, and tempo on the hardwood. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton might be going through the same phase after her meniscus injury last year.

“I’m figuring everything out,” she had said a few days back, as per the NY Post. ” I’m just working every day.”

Even after the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup finals, where Chris DeMarco snubbed her from the rotation, Laney-Hamilton didn’t question it. In an interview, she expressed gratitude to her supporters. “Just thank you, you know,” she said. “Thank you for the support, thank you.”

Team veteran Breanna Stewart shed light on Laney-Hamilton’s importance to the squad after the Las Vegas Aces game on June 23, during which Laney-Hamilton played and even blocked A’ja Wilson.

“B’s a pro’s pro,” Stewart had said, as per the NY Post. “You can tell the comfort level for us to have another defensive stopper on the court.”

Banijah Laney-Hamilton’s assessment makes it pretty clear that she is still a shadow of her best self. But given her experience and class, it’s quite certain she will return to her best with more opportunities from Chris DeMarco and the NY Liberty. However, it will be interesting to see if DeMarco puts Laney-Hamilton back in the rotation in their next game against the Dallas Wings on July 7.