The first thing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton did when she woke up the morning of the Liberty’s season opener Friday was pray.

“Thank the Lord,” she said. “It’s another day, another opportunity for me to get out there.”

Laney-Hamilton had been wishing for this moment for quite some time. She hadn’t played meaningful WNBA basketball since the Liberty hoisted the championship trophy in October 2024 after knee surgery sidelined her for all of last season.

Laney-Hamilton felt the love from fans as they showered her with cheers when her name was called in the starting lineup ahead of the Liberty’s 106-75 win against the Connecticut Sun. She then got to work.

One of Laney-Hamilton’s highlights was crossing up Gianna Kneepkens before pulling up for a basket.

She finished with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two rebounds and four assists.

Laney-Hamilton said she had been envisioning her return for a “long time.”

“Just kind of being where my feet are,” she said. “And just like whatever it is that I can do to help, doing that. And so now that I’m back out there, that I’m healthy and able to go out there and play for the first time in a while, I’m really excited.”

Laney-Hamilton has a lengthy history of knee issues. She missed 12 games in 2024 because of a right knee problem. She also was limited to only nine games in 2022 because of a right knee injury.

Laney-Hamilton made an appearance in Unrivaled’s inaugural season, where she suffered an acute meniscus injury in her left knee. Surgery was deemed necessary.

Rather than rush her way back, Laney-Hamilton spent all of last year rehabbing. When she re-signed on a one-year deal last month, general manager Jonathan Kolb said Laney-Hamilton is as “healthy as she’s been in years.”

Her absence was felt last season. Laney-Hamilton is the ultimate glue player. She’s a vocal leader who plays hard on both ends of the floor. She’s one of the Liberty’s best perimeter defenders and has a knack for getting timely buckets.

Laney-Hamilton is a two-time All-Defensive selection and one-time All-Star who returned to the Liberty’s lineup eager to pick up where she left off.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Laney-Hamilton said, “and so more than anything just excitement, gratefulness to be back out there.

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The Liberty officially unveiled their 2026 Nike WNBA Rebel Edition uniforms, which pay homage to the Brooklyn Bridge. The seafoam threads, which were leaked online a week ago, have gold and black trim and Brooklyn arching across the chest.

The new uniforms received Laney-Hamilton’s stamp of approval.

“It’s super cute,” she said. “I love that our seafoam is back… with the gold and black and everything, so I think it’s really cute.”

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Liberty fans’ hopes for Anneli Maley’s return on a developmental spot were dashed Friday when the Phoenix Mercury claimed the Aussie forward off waivers. The Liberty on Wednesday waived Maley, who became a fan favorite of training camp after she averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds and two assists in two preseason games.