Liberty fan favorite Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s time in Brooklyn has come to an unceremonious end.
The Liberty released Laney-Hamilton, the team announced Thursday.
The writing had been on the wall for weeks.
Laney-Hamilton hadn’t set foot on the court since she was ejected after throwing a shoe in the Liberty’s July 12 loss to the Toronto Tempo, racking up eight consecutive healthy scratches since.
The Liberty explored moving her before Sunday’s trade deadline but were unable to find a deal that made sense for all involved.
Laney-Hamilton’s recent benching coincided with French guard Marine Fauthoux’s injection into the rotation. Fauthoux, the Liberty’s third-round pick in 2021, has played in 11 of the maximum 12 games allowed as a developmental player.
With Laney-Hamilton gone, the Liberty intend to sign Fauthoux to a multiyear contract, a source told The Post.
In a statement, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said the decision to cut Laney-Hamilton was “incredibly difficult.”
“We believe this will give Betnijah the best opportunity to pursue a larger basketball role,” he said. “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.”
Laney-Hamilton, a former All-Star and starter on New York’s 2024 championship team, signed a one-year, $400,000 contract in April. It was essentially a prove-it deal, with Laney-Hamilton hoping to earn a major pay raise next offseason.
But the season turned into one of the biggest challenges of her career.
New York Liberty guard-forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (44) drives around Phoenix Mercury forward-guard DeWanna Bonner (24) during the second half at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Despite entering this campaign the healthiest she had been for quite some time, Laney-Hamilton never fully established herself. Her role fluctuated. She went from starter to coming off the bench to not playing at all.
She missed time for personal reasons early on and then again after having an injection in her surgically repaired knee.
Laney-Hamilton appeared in 17 of the Liberty’s 32 games, averaging 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists. She averaged her fewest minutes and lowest scoring output since 2018.
Laney-Hamilton was the second-longest-tenured player on the Liberty, having signed with the team ahead of the 2021 season.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton of the New York Liberty warms up prior to a game against the Dallas Wings on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at Barclays Center. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
She came to Brooklyn before the Liberty became the WNBA’s standard-bearer and before championship expectations replaced hopeful optimism.
The 32-year-old established herself as the team’s two-way heartbeat when the franchise was trying to rediscover relevance. She served as the team’s glue during the championship run, committing to the dirty work that rarely receives headline attention.
Laney-Hamilton gave her all to the organization. During the 2024 WNBA Finals, she told Ros Gold-Onwude that she was playing “till the wheels fall off.”
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She helped end New York’s 51-year professional basketball title drought.
But championship windows have little room for sentimentality.
“We want to thank Betnijah for everything she has given to this organization,” Kolb said. “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. We’re incredibly grateful for her professionalism, leadership and the commitment she brought to the New York Liberty every day.”
Fauthoux, 25, has provided a spark off the bench recently, averaging 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 32 percent from deep.
“She’s been important to this team,” coach Chris DeMarco said of Fauthoux before Wednesday’s win against the Seattle Storm. “She gives us a different look offensively and with the competition. … We really like her and we’re playing well right now, so we’re gonna keep going to her.”