WNBA: Will Betnijah Laney-Hamilton step up for NY Liberty in Finals?

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has embodied New York Metropolis toughness, swag and spirit from the second she first donned a New York Liberty jersey. That’s in all probability as a result of NYC was a second house to her rising up. The Fulton Mall, Coney Island, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Broadway. As a result of her nice aunt lived in Brooklyn, these locations comprised the settings of the Delaware native’s childhood adventures within the Large Apple throughout vacation breaks and summers.

Laney-Hamilton would go on to attend Rutgers College, underneath one hour southwest of NYC, and was more than pleased to name the world house once more in 2021 when she signed with the Liberty.

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At that time, she was coming off a Most Improved Participant award-winning season wherein she averaged 17.2 factors per recreation for the Atlanta Dream, so Liberty followers had been excited to have her. And he or she didn’t disappoint, changing into the very best participant on a group that additionally featured former All-Star Natasha Howard and 2020 No. 1 draft choose Sabrina Ionescu. She made the All-Star Recreation and scored 25 factors in an opening-round playoff contest that noticed New York practically defeat the eventual Finals runner-up Phoenix Mercury.

Observers might inform that Laney-Hamilton put town on her again in 2021 and embodied its vibe. She was a New York hero and fan favourite, and nonetheless is, although her standing is not talked about as a lot, because it has been blurred by all the opposite expertise the Liberty have since added: two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, MVP Jonquel Jones and arguably the best passer in league historical past in Courtney Vandersloot.

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On the 2024 group that’s headed to its second-straight WNBA Finals, Laney-Hamilton is the second-longest tenured Liberty, behind solely Ionescu. A few of the particular person storylines getting into the Finals are: Can Stewart add to her GOAT case with a 3rd championship and first along with her new, home-state group after being essentially the most coveted free agent ever? Can Ionescu fulfill her draft hype along with her first school or professional title after coming shut at Oregon?Can Jones lastly win a championship after dropping a aggressive Finals in 2019 and one other in 2022, each with the Connecticut Solar?

But, Laney-Hamilton doubtlessly successful a title for a metropolis and a fan base that she has meant a lot to and which have meant a lot to her is a compelling plot to observe as properly.

Laney-Hamilton has been at her greatest when it issues most

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However, as compelling as it’s, Laney-Hamilton has been enjoying far under her commonplace within the 2024 playoffs.

She scored 10 factors in Recreation 1 of the primary spherical in opposition to the Dream, nevertheless it’s been all single digits since. She’s taking pictures 29.2 % from the sphere and 15 % from 3, and is averaging simply six factors per recreation (sixth on the group). She hit a brand new low in New York’s semifinal series-clinching win Sunday afternoon with simply two factors on 1-for-7 taking pictures, together with 0-for-2 from downtown.

By comparability, Laney-Hamilton was the Liberty’s fourth-leading scorer within the common season at 11.8 factors per contest. She shot 45.6 % from the sphere and an exceptional 40.2 % from deep with 1.5 treys per outing. Her plus/minus common within the common season was a league-leading and career-best 9.7, however is now 0.2 within the playoffs, simply the bottom among the many New York starters.

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Laney-Hamilton put up the numbers we’d count on from a star within the common season, along with her scoring common understandably being on the low facet given the wonderful offensive expertise that surrounds her. She delivered within the 2023 common season as properly, with 12.8 factors per recreation through the first season of New York’s tremendous group experiment. And previously, she has delivered within the postseason.

In 14 playoff video games with the Liberty previous to this season, she solely had two duds within the scoring column; the remaining had been double-digit outings. Of the 12 double-digit performances, just one featured a sub-44.4 % effort from the sphere (it was 26.7 % on 4-for-15 taking pictures). Save for one pre-Liberty playoff recreation in 2015 wherein she performed simply two minutes with zero factors, Laney-Hamilton was averaging 15.1 factors per recreation within the playoffs getting into 2024. She was taking pictures 46.2 % from the sphere and 36.5 % from past the arc. All significantly better than her 2024 numbers, and fairly dang good for anybody.

Within the 2023 playoffs, which is the very best comparability to this 12 months given her comparable function on an excellent group, she scored 19 factors in each first-round video games in opposition to the Washington Mystics whereas taking pictures 53.1 % from the sphere and 40 % from 3 with 4 makes. She went on to common 20.3 factors, 6.3 rebounds and 4 assists over the ultimate three of 4 semifinal video games, together with 52.3 % taking pictures from the sphere and 52.6 % taking pictures from downtown with 10 makes. In her first Finals, she cooled off to 45.5 % from the sphere and 25 % from deep, however scored in double figures in all 4 contests, together with dropping 15 in Recreation 4 to go together with 4 dimes.

Can Laney-Hamilton (who underwent a minor knee surgical procedure in July, lacking 12 regular-season video games earlier than and after the process) regain her playoff prowess within the 2024 Finals? Do the Liberty even want her to?

Can Queen B assist NY win the crown?

This postseason, Leonie Fiebich has changed Laney-Hamilton because the group’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 10.5 factors per recreation and taking pictures an unimaginable 59.1 % from 3 with 2.2 makes per recreation. Fiebich’s plus/minus common is a team-best 12.5. She is the x-factor driving New York’s success. Together with her performing the best way she is, and with Stewart and Ionescu hovering round 20 factors per recreation and Jones averaging near a double-double in factors and rebounds, the Liberty have received three video games comfortably, received two shut ones and suffered only one loss. And so they simply conquered a Las Vegas Aces group that was essentially the most gifted and battle-tested within the league. Maybe the Finals in opposition to the Minnesota Lynx might be a better process, and maybe New York can win with out Laney-Hamilton enhancing her play.

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Nevertheless, simply because the Aces are extra formidable in lots of respects, doesn’t imply that Minnesota received’t give the Liberty extra of a battle than Vegas did—underdogs typically thrive within the massive moments. And Fiebich is more likely to cool off sooner or later, whereas Ionsecu might endure one other four-point evening like she did in New York’s Recreation 3 loss to the Aces. In that state of affairs, Laney-Hamilton absolutely wish to put forth a greater exhibiting than seven factors on 2-for-8 taking pictures to select up the slack for a struggling teammate. To not point out the truth that Jones has gotten herself into foul bother two video games in a row and the Liberty may have Queen B to step up for that motive.

We will see if Laney-Hamilton, the ride-or-die hero who scrapped for the Liberty once they had been a No. 8 and No. 7 seed in 2021 and 2022, respectively, might be a key issue within the 2024 Finals. If she is and it contributes to the Liberty successful their first championship, it should actually imply loads to the child who shaped lasting household reminiscences strolling alongside the boardwalk at Coney Island, in the identical New York borough the Liberty now name house.

It can imply she, her teammates and Alicia Keys can carry on singing, “Concrete jungle the place goals are product of / There’s nothing you possibly can’t do / Now you’re in New York!”