When Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier announced the arrival of the newest league, it was the easiest answer for many players. “For one, I’m staying in the States, I don’t have to go overseas. I’m making six figures, I’m living in Miami during my off-season,” Angel Reese summed up. But the move didn’t come without drawbacks.

While staying at home is one thing, falling to injuries is another. Though Unrivaled solved many of these issues, it didn’t solve them all. And that’s what made New York Liberty’s standout, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, pay a heavy price before even starting her regular season campaign.

Ignoring Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Liberty chooses to play smart

Laney-Hamilton originally wasn’t going to play in Unrivaled, but she joined late in the season to provide relief for the Laces. And that wasn’t really the best decision, considering the fate she encountered. She ended up playing just two games, averaging 15.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per contest. And that’s exactly when she sustained an acute meniscus tear in her left knee. While both Unrivaled and the Liberty speculated on the matter, neither gave an injury timeline until March. It was only after she underwent surgery that her recovery period was expected to be five to six months.

With that, the key forward for the New York Liberty was set to miss the entire WNBA season. And unfortunately, this isn’t anything new for Laney-Hamilton.

Notably, she suffered a torn ACL that sidelined her for the latter part of the 2016 season and the entire 2017 season. Even last season, she underwent a minor procedure on her right knee to remove loose bodies causing discomfort. She missed several games leading up to the Olympic break, but returned just in time for the postseason.

And her 20-point standout performance in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals is something none could forget — even after months. However, an opportunity to make an impact on the Liberty’s roster won’t be there anymore for 2025. This time, it cost her more than just the regular season.

Since her injury was sustained outside of WNBA play, the Liberty took the relevant step and suspended her contract for the entire 2025 season.

“Via transactions, the New York Liberty have officially suspended Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s contract. Remember this just means her contract and roster spot won’t count against the salary cap and will allow the Liberty to have 12 active players on opening day,” Powell wrote on X.

Well, this isn’t something new in the league. The rule has always been there — for instance, Chiney Ogwumike missed the entire 2017 when she suffered an Achilles injury during international play and put on the suspended list. But how does that work?

WNBA suspension rules

According to the W’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, there are specific provisions for handling player injuries sustained outside of league play. So, when a player is injured while participating in non-WNBA activities and is expected to be sidelined for more than six weeks, teams have the option to place the player on the suspended list.

This simply removes the player’s salary from the team’s salary cap and frees up a roster spot — all while allowing the team to sign a replacement player for the duration of the suspension. And most importantly, the team retains the player’s rights, enabling them to re-sign the player once she’s medically cleared to return.

And that’s exactly what happened with Laney-Hamilton. While it may feel like betrayal at first glance, honestly, it was a necessary step so that the team’s roster isn’t limited.

This procedural move allows the team to remove her $185,400 salary from the cap while retaining exclusive negotiation rights for her in 2026. If they hadn’t taken this step, they wouldn’t have been able to carry 12 players into the regular season. Coming off a national title, the Liberty need to meet a certain level of expectations. And suspending Hamilton’s contract gives the team an extra roster spot to at least substitute her presence on the floor.

With that said, Hamilton is also a star. She might not have received much attention, but she’s an All-Star for a reason. It’s her ability to contribute in different facets of the game that makes her a threat to many in the W. So, filling her space won’t be easy.