NY Liberty suspend Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s contract, forcing Unrivaled to pay her $185,400 salary

During the inaugural season of Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball, New York Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton suffered a meniscus injury that forced her to undergo surgery.

Now, ahead of the 2025 WNBA season, New York Liberty General Manager Jonathan Kolb has informed members of the press that the team will be suspending Laney-Hamilton's contract for the season ahead.

In doing so, the team would not only open up a roster spot for this season, but also maintain their negotiating rights for the 2020 Most Improved Player.

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The Unrivaled league, co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, offered players insurance policies as part of their contracts. If a player suffers an injury while playing in Unrivaled that forces their WNBA contract to be suspended, the 3X3 league is supposed to pay out their WNBA contract amount.

With Laney-Hamilton's contract now suspended, Unrivaled will be forced to pay her $185,400 WNBA salary for the 2025 season.

So far, no word has been out yet on what players the Liberty have on their radar as potential replacements. However, given that Laney-Hamilton is a standout two-way player, finding someone to replace her contributions on both ends of the floor will be no simple task.

The season ahead for the New York Liberty following Betnijah Laney-Hamilton's injury

Last season, the New York Liberty won their first championship in franchise history, beating out teams like the Las Vegas Aces, who entered the season as back-to-back champs, and the Minnesota Lynx.

During what proved to be a busy offseason around the league, the Liberty acquired Natasha Cloud from the Connecticut Sun. The move gives the Liberty some depth at the point guard position and a veteran presence on the roster.

Last season, Cloud averaged a career-high 4.1 rebounds per game to go along with a career-high 1.4 steals per game. Additionally, she averaged 11.5 points per game, marking the third time in her career that she's averaged more than 10.0ppg.

With the 2025 WNBA season right around the corner, the Liberty are sitting as betting favorites to win it all again.

Their campaign will tip off on Saturday, May 17, with a showdown against the Aces.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Satagni Sikder