The 2020 season in the WNBA’s bubble was a banner year for Betnijah Laney.
After a career that saw her make stops with the Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever, Laney got her big chance in the bubble with the Atlanta Dream and displayed how talented she is.
Laney averaged 17 points per game en route to Most Improved Player honors. This apparently got the eye of Jonathan Kolb and Walt Hopkins at the New York Liberty enough to make Laney New York’s first signing of this year’s free agency period.
The signing is a homecoming of sorts for Laney who played her college career across the Hudson River in Piscataway, New Jersey at Rutgers under C. Vivian Stringer. Laney says that her work ethic is the one thing that she feels she can translate from her Rutgers days to success with the Liberty.
That goes a long way. Just never giving up or anything, regardless of the circumstances. Just continuing to work hard and pushing myself and those around me to just continue to get better.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
In addition to being closer to where her home is, Laney also mentioned that she is excited about the young potential that the Liberty field whenever they take the court. New York is full of youngsters – and not only Sabrina Ionescu. That includes Megan Walker, Joyner Holmes, Leaonna Odom, Jazmine Jones, Kylee Shook and Jocelyn Willoughby.
We’re moving in the right direction with the pieces that are already there and what’s trying to be added.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
She believes a big part of her success last season pertained to being able to expand on areas of her game, including her free throw percentage and her shooting percentage. Laney hopes to expand on that even more in 2021.
A key element that Laney brings to New York is someone who has years of experience under her belt, but proved that with the right playing time and situation that she can be a productive piece to any team’s puzzle. The Liberty are in the throes of a rebuild with these young players with veterans such as Layshia Clarendon steering New York’s young players in the right direction.
…continue to push myself, push everyone else, just be a voice, lead by example and just be whatever it is that the team needs me to be.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
One aspect of the move to New York that Laney is optimistic about is working within an offense that is similar in many ways to that which was run by Nicki Collen, the Dream’s coach.
(Hopkins) allows players just to have the ability to play within the offense. The offense is more of a guide for the plays … that’ll be ran.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
Of course, the word “veteran” may have a different meaning by current Lib standards than with other teams. Clarendon may be the only “true” veteran, but Kia Nurse, Amanda Zahui B (also a free agent) and Kiah Stokes were considered veterans from last year’s very young Liberty team.
.@BetnijahLaney discusses her first Liberty game memory, her excitement about joining the team, and contributing her veteran experience. 🗽 pic.twitter.com/vpWzA0BOSm
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 4, 2021
Laney now goes into that role occupied by Nurse, Zahui B, Stokes and Clarendon last season – and she says she is particularly stoked about playing alongside No. 20 in the New York backcourt.
I think she showed a lot of potential and I think her ceiling is very, very high. So, I’m really excited to be able to play with her, to teach her, but also learn from her.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
Just watching Sabrina, she’s capable of many things. She’s capable of scoring, she’s capable of playing on the ball, off the ball. And I think that’s really good for myself and everyone else around us…like I’ll be able to bring it up or do something and play through her, or she can play through me. So, I think that we’ll just … compliment each other really well on the court.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
Laney says she first called Kolb with the news that Brooklyn would be Laney’s next stop in her WNBA journey. One of the things she said impressed her was the commitment that Joe and Clara Wu Tsai’s ownership group has shown to the Liberty.
Kolb has talked in the past about landing players to New York that are not only high in basketball IQ, but also of high character. He mentioned as much during his media availability after the Liberty won the 2021 draft lottery.
Keia Clarke … does just a wonderful job planning out off-court programming for players and what they’re interested and how we can really help people in the community. I think Betnijah really lit up during a conversation with Keia as well just kind of explaining, like, this is what you can do off-court in New York.
–Jonathan Kolb, Liberty general manager
In terms of her character … you shouldn’t be more proud of anybody than Betnijah. She works so hard to get where she’s at. It takes true grit, belief, grind, everything, whatever you want to call it, she has it. I think it’s something that New Yorkers embody, I think that’s going to make them relate.
–Jonathan Kolb, Liberty general manager
New Yorkers may also embrace the thought of the Liberty getting a player who can be considered one of their own. Laney says that when she was younger, she spent lots of time in Brooklyn and has family ties to Brooklyn. Now, she will be playing at Barclays Center, Brooklyn’s signature sports cathedral.
Libs Fam, show some love to the newest member of the squad! @BetnijahLaney 🗽 pic.twitter.com/bI6gjhrxTZ
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 3, 2021
And upon Laney’s arrival at Atlantic and Flatbush, she hopes to use her experience from last season with Atlanta to instill confidence in New York’s young risers. She recalled how Collen gave her the confidence to “play free” and believes that message can be vital for the Willoughbys, Odoms and Jones’ looking to find solid footing in Brooklyn.
So, I think that it starts … with yourself, just making sure that you’re doing everything that you need to do to go out and perform, but then also, just having people around you who believe in you and what you’re capable of to go out there and be able to perform.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
As for Kolb, he dropped news during the virtual presser that the Liberty had Laney on its radar prior to the bubble. Why? Those leadership and character attributes Kolb mentioned earlier in said presser.
We’re trying to assemble a group of players that are wanting to be in the gym and wanting to work on their games, and not only want to work on their games for themselves, but for each other and that’s who she is. She leads by example.
–Jonathan Kolb, Liberty general manager
Leadership typically begets leadership – and the leadership qualities Kolb saw in Laney can be traced back to Stringer. Rutgers is one of the most robust WNBA factories in the nation with players such as Laney serving as embodiments of the impact she has had on women’s basketball.
Laney recalled those days and remembers Stringer instilling attributes such as discipline and hard work that are important if one expects to be successful with their career after graduating from Rutgers.
I found that that’s carried me a long way. And whether that was just me on defense or offensively, it was just that attention to detail which, kind of, … separates us a bit.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
She says Stringer still talks to her previous players, such as Laney, about their goals and aspirations for their careers. Laney says she has yet to speak with her after the signing with the Liberty, but that they did speak after last year’s bubble season.
Laney, of course, has communicated with her mother, who was a former basketball player in her own right, but did so when there was not a WNBA. She says the elder Laney is more in a “mom role.”
For her to see me fulfill my dreams…which I’m sure would’ve been … a dream of hers, she’s just really happy and excited that I’m being able to live out mine.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
At the time being, Laney, similar to many WNBA players, is overseas. Before she dons the black and seafoam of the Liberty, she is playing in a league in Israel. Laney says she is working on becoming more reliable as a scorer.
I think for me, right now, I’ve shown that I’m capable at all levels, whether it’s hitting a three, or midrange or getting to the basket. So, for me, it’s just trying to be more consistent.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
It’s official, Libs Fam! The 2020 WNBA Most Improved Player, @BetnijahLaney is coming to New York! 🗽 pic.twitter.com/nHRWDGoHQr
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) February 2, 2021
While New York may be a bit further away than other teams in terms of championship aspirations, signing with the Liberty not only means inking a deal with the WNBA’s flagship franchise. It also means deciding to play with the only original WNBA franchise yet to win a championship.
Such an achievement would create a palpable buzz throughout the Tri-State area, worthy of a parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. Laney understands that a WNBA championship is the ultimate prize to strive for in this league.
As long as I’m here and playing … that’s the goal for myself, for my teammates, for the team, the organization, that’s the ultimate goal and we’re just going to do each and everything that we can to obtain that goal.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
Laney admitted that for many years growing up she did not keep up with the Liberty – or basketball in general and that the only reason she did was because of how she grew up in a basketball household because of her mother.
I actually didn’t see my first Liberty game until, maybe, like, high school. And … even then, it was really exciting and I remember thinking, like wow, like, one day … I want that to be me. And so, the fact that I’m here now … it does mean a lot.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
The move also reunites Laney with Clarendon. They and Laney were teammates with the Sun in 2018.
Betnijah Laney got a three-year protected max contract from the New York Liberty, sources have informed @herhoopstats. $190,550 in 2021, $196,267 in 2022, $201,984 in 2023.
— Gabe Ibrahim (@gabe_ibrahim) February 2, 2021
As Kolb mentioned earlier, Laney was on New York’s radar for a while – and it showed with how aggressive they were in going after her. Kolb says that the Liberty were one of the first teams to schedule a meeting with Laney’s agent. A big plus in getting Laney, Kolb says, was that she fills a number of holes that were glaringly apparently from last year’s Liberty rendition that only won two games in the bubble last season.
It’s rare that you can have a player that so uniquely helps fill some problem areas from the previous year. We were, I think, 11th in pick and roll defense last year, 12th in spot up offense and she uniquely and immensely helps us improve in those spaces.
–Jonathan Kolb, Liberty general manager
Laney also talked a bit about how her dancing background may help with basketball – footwork in particular. One way or another, even despite last year’s banner season, Laney still feels like there is room for her to grow and improve.
As everyone knows, the bubble was a massive undertaking for the WNBA and its players. It turned out to be, arguably, one of the best things for Laney’s career and she says part of what made last season such a success was how she maintained an attitude to always be ready for what could happen next.
We didn’t know if we were going to have a season last year or what last year was going to look like. So, it would’ve been easy to just, ok, we’ll I’ll just chill or whatever. But, I wasn’t. I didn’t always have access to a gym or anything, but I made sure that whatever it is that I could do that I was doing just that.
–Betnijah Laney, New York Liberty
She says she always kept that attitude, even in her previous days in her career such as being let go from the Fever.
