(Reuters) – The other shoe dropped for Betnijah Laney-Hamilton on Thursday.
The New York Liberty waived the former All-Star while giving Marine Fauthoux a multiyear contract.
Laney-Hamilton, 32, was ejected from her last game for the Liberty on July 12. New York's Jonquel Jones had a shoe come off in the fourth quarter against Toronto, and Laney- Hamilton threw it into the back of the Tempo's Marina Mabrey, prompting her second technical foul of the game.
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco said Laney-Hamilton was trying to get the shoe back to Jones.
In the Liberty's subsequent eight games, Laney-Hamilton was a healthy scratch each time before the team parted ways with her on Thursday.
The 6-foot forward/guard was a key performer on the Liberty's 2024 WNBA championship team, but she missed the 2025 season due to a knee injury and became a rarely used reserve this season. She averaged 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17 games (five starts) in 2026.
"We want to thank Betnijah for everything she has given to this organization," Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb said in a statement. "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.
"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."
In 251 career WNBA games, including 160 starts, for the Chicago Sky (2015-16), Connecticut Sun (2018), Indiana Fever (2019), Atlanta Dream (2020) and New York (2021-26), Laney-Hamilton has averaged 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
She was an All-Star in 2021, the year after she was chosen the WNBA's Most Improved Player.
Fauthoux, a 5-foot-9 rookie guard, is producing 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists through 11 games off the bench for New York this season. The 25-year-old from France had been on a developmental contract.