Betnijah Laney-Hamilton plays for the New York Liberty on July 25, 2024.
The Liberty’s championship core took a big hit just months before the team’s 2025 title defense was about to start.
New York forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton underwent surgery on her left knee to repair an acute meniscus tear earlier this month, the Liberty announced Monday,
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She has started the rehabilitation process but isn’t expected to return to basketball activities for approximately five to six months, meaning she could miss most — if not all — of the WNBA season.
The Liberty are set to begin WNBA training camp April 27 before opening their season May 17 against the Las Vegas Aces.
New York is scheduled to wrap up its regular season Sept. 11.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton plays for the New York Liberty on July 25, 2024. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Laney-Hamilton suffered the injury earlier this month while filling in as a reserve player at Unrivaled, a new three-on-three women’s basketball league that wrapped up its inaugural season two weeks ago.
It’s another tough setback for Laney-Hamilton, who missed 10 games last season with knee issues.
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She underwent what Sandy Brondello called a “clean-up” knee surgery in July.
She returned after the Olympic break but was sidelined again after she reinjured her knee in a collision with teammate Jonquel Jones.
It took time for Laney-Hamilton to settle back in. Her best performance was in Game 2 of the Finals when she dropped 20 points in the Liberty’s win against the Minnesota Lynx.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton helped the Liberty beat the Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post
In 28 games (25 starts), Laney-Hamilton averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Laney-Hamilton, 30, joined Unrivaled in February as a relief player, starting with the Laces, who are coached by new Liberty assistant Andrew Wade.
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She dazzled in her debut, knocking down a game-winner.
But her time in Miami was short-lived.
Laney-Hamilton is the second Liberty player to have undergone surgery this month and fourth overall to have an offseason procedure.
After wrapping up Unrivaled earlier this month, Breanna Stewart underwent a minor scope on her right meniscus.
Leonie Fiebich was a revelation for the Liberty as a rookie in 2024. Michelle Farsi for the NY Post
Meanwhile, Marine Johannes had left ankle surgery in November. And Sabrina Ionescu had a procedure done on her thumb in early December after hurting it during the WNBA Finals.
Johannes and Ionescu have already made their returns to the court, while Stewart is expected to be good to go for training camp.
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With Laney-Hamilton out, the Liberty will likely turn to Leonie Fiebich to play small forward.
Last season as a rookie, Fiebich averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43.3 percent from deep.
She jumped into the starting lineup for Courtney Vandersloot in the playoffs and became a critical part in the team’s run.
The 6-foot-3 German wing who finished second in sixth player of the year voting averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. She also converted on 52.1 percent of her 4.4 attempts from 3-point land per game.
Based on how last season ended, Fiebich seemed destined for a bigger role with the Liberty this season. While Laney-Hamilton’s injury is unfortunate, it opens the door for her to be a regular starter.
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Recently acquired guard Natasha Cloud also seems poised for a starting role.
The Liberty traded two first-round picks to the Connecticut Sun for Cloud earlier this month. The nine-year veteran and 2019 WNBA champion has earned three All-Defensive team selections, including two in the past three seasons.
