The New York Liberty have officially released Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, the organization announced on Thursday. The team filled the empty roster spot by signing Marine Fauthoux, who was on a developmental contract, to a multi-year deal.

Despite her glaring lack of playing time — Laney-Hamilton has been a healthy scratch since July 12 —  the news was still somewhat surprising because it came four days after the Aug. 2 trade deadline. 

The 33-year-old Laney-Hamilton had been a starter for the Liberty since joining in 2021 and played a key role in New York winning the 2024 WNBA championship. The 6-foot guard appeared in 126 regular-season games with the Liberty, including 108 starts. Through that time, she averaged 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.

She sat out all of last year because of surgery and rehabilitation on her left knee but was ready to make her comeback in 2026. However, Laney-Hamilton has been coming off the bench this season under new coach Chris DeMarco and playing under 17 minutes per contest. In the July 12 game, she was ejected after throwing a shoe that hit Tempo guard Marina Mabrey, and she hasn’t seen any playing time since.

In an official statement, Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb said this move will allow Laney-Hamilton “to pursue a larger basketball role” somewhere else. 

“We want to thank Betnijah for everything she has given to this organization. She has been an instrumental part of our success since 2021 and has made a lasting impact on our team, both on and off the court,” Kolb said. “We’re incredibly grateful for her professionalism, leadership, and the commitment she brought to the New York Liberty every day.

“While this decision is incredibly difficult, we believe this will give Betnijah the best opportunity to pursue a larger basketball role. We wish her nothing but success moving forward, and she’ll always be a member of the Liberty family. As a key contributor to the first championship in franchise history, Betnijah’s legacy with the Liberty is forever cemented.”

Potential landing spots

Laney-Hamilton will be a tempting addition for any team looking for more depth ahead of the playoffs. Her $400,000 contract is guaranteed by the Liberty, so she’s getting that money no matter what. If she clears waivers, she will become a free agent and can sign with any team that has room in their salary cap — or can get an injury exemption to make room — and a roster spot available. This would seem to rule out the Aces, who could use Laney-Hamilton’s toughness, but have no space in the salary cap.

The versatile two-way player could bring veteran leadership to any roster, give them a double-digit scorer and, most notably, add a strong defender to the mix. Here are some of her potential landing spots:

Indiana Fever 

The Fever are the highest-scoring team in the league, but their defense has been suspect and reinforcements as they are currently No. 12 in the league allowing opponents over 90 points per game. Laney-Hamilton is a tenacious defender who was named to the All-Defensive first team in 2020 and All-Defensive second team in 2023. And it just so happens that the Fever  thave a roster spot open due to Damiris Dantas’ season-ending meniscus injury. Indiana already has the top offense in the WNBA but we could entertain the idea of them becoming even more dangerous if Laney-Hamilton can get back to the 40.2% from beyond the arc she was shooting in 2024. This is also an organization she is familiar with, since she played for the Fever in 2019.

Dallas Wings

The Wings play a lot of positionless basketball, which makes a two-way player like Laney-Hamilton an option the makes sense for their system. She could add depth to their bench and also help rookie Azzi Fudd as another perimeter disruptor. Late-game defensive lapses have already proven costly for the Wings, including their recent 96-92 to the Washington Mystics after giving up a 20-point lead in the second half.

Washington Mystics

Speaking of the Mystics, they have the cap space to make the move and this could be a good opportunity to add some veteran leadership to their talented but young roster. It is also ideal timing because the team is currently No. 8 in league standings and Laney-Hamilton’s versatility adds depth that could help the Mystics feel more comfortable about their playoffs chances. She would also help them handle postseason pressure better since Laney-Hamilton has plenty of experience there. Even if they lose in the first round, the young core could learn a lot from Laney-Hamilton in a short period of time.