Liberty's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Out 5-6 Months After Surgery on Knee Injury

The defending WNBA champion New York Liberty will be without a key player for most of the 2025 season.

The Liberty announced on Monday that guard/forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton underwent successful surgery to repair a meniscus injury in her left knee and she will miss five to six months.

Laney-Hamilton also underwent a "clean-up" procedure on her knee last July and missed 10 games during the 2024 season due to knee issues, but this one is far more significant. The Liberty will begin training camp on April 27 before opening the season on May 17 against the Las Vegas Aces, and the regular season will end on Sept. 11, which is near the end of the five-to-six-month timeline. The playoffs run through October.

Laney-Hamilton suffered the latest injury earlier this month while playing for Laces BC in the Unrivaled women's 3-on-3 league. She appeared in two games as a reserve player before being sidelined.

In 2024, Laney-Hamilton appeared in 28 regular-season games for the Liberty with 25 starts and averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals. She was still getting back in her groove during the postseason, but she had a 20-point performance in a win against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.

The Liberty have been dealing with injuries to multiple key players. Star forward Breanna Stewart also underwent a scope on her right meniscus after her time with Unrivaled came to an end, though she's expected to be recovered by training camp. Guards Sabrina Ionescu (thumb) and Marine Johannes (ankle) also underwent procedures earlier this offseason and are on their way to recovering.

Laney-Hamilton's absence likely will mean more minutes for second-year forward Leonie Fiebich, who shot 43.3 percent from three-point range during her rookie season. Veteran guard Natasha Cloud, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Phoenix Mercury, will also have more on her shoulders in her first year with her new team.