The New York Liberty has showcased its depth throughout the regular season. And they have picked right where they left in the playoffs. From Leonie Fiebich to Jonquel Jones to Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart, every player on their roster has passed the litmus test. This time around, the Sandy Brondello-led team has found another gem in their locker room.

The Liberty star Betnijah Laney-Hamilton on Sunday, performed exceptionally well. She scored 13 points up until halftime when the Liberty led by a 49-39 margin. The 30-year-old was part of the starting five and had hit 5-for-6 field goals and 3-for-4 three-pointers. And this was while she was battling her knee issues after surgery during the regular season, as per Brondello. Meanwhile, Breanna Stewart also helped the NY take a lead in the first half by becoming the alpha for her team and hitting 14 points with 5 assists. She hit 2-5 three-pointers and 5-13 field goals.

With the third quarter ending, Hamilton has already collected a playoff-high 17 points. The No. 44 wrapped up the day game with 20 points. While their star veteran Stewart compiled 21 points, Hamilton’s 57% scoring from the field and 66% from the deep outshined the No. 30’s 39% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.

It is interesting to note that Hamilton was not supposed to play in stretches of more than five minutes. This update was given by the play-by-play caller for Game 1 Ryan Ruocco. However, the forward was playing longer than the supposed time limit, making a 32-minute-long presence on the floor.

Her medical issues began back in June when she felt a little discomfort in her right knee after a 99-93 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. Furthermore, over the next few days, the problem compounded with knee swelling. She was allowed to rest for a few days but had to make a comeback for the Commissioner’s Cup against the Lynx, which her team lost. Even in July, she couldn’t ply her trade to the fullest as her injury restricted her chances of helping her team win matchups.

She had to miss 12 games, only being a part of 2 in July and 3 in August. She also underwent surgery during that time. Even in September, when Hamilton collided with Jones, she had to miss a significant portion of the fourth quarter. Hence, during this game, a concerned Brondello revealed that she wasn’t 100% fit. Nonetheless, that isn’t stopping Hamilton from giving her best.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton talks about her spectacular performance

Having her career’s playoff high, Hamilton reached 20 points when she hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter with 3:21 minutes left. Her accomplice in this was Ionescu this time who passed the rock to her. Such a remarkable comeback after a grave injury deserved applause. However, when Hamilton was asked about her scoring spree, she looked all casual about it, as if it was one of the easiest things she had done.

“That shot finally kicked in no. But I’m you know the team has been doing everything to get me healthy. Get me feeling my best. And you know just… just trusting in God. That he’s going to see me through. You know we’ve been preparing for these moments and we’re just trying to make the most out of it.” Hamilton told Holly Rowe in a sideline interview.

Though Stewart did match up to Hamilton with 21 points, seeing her running coast to coast and helping the Liberty get a 14-point lead at the end with a 12-0 run in the final minutes, it looks as if the day belongs to the No. 44. It will be interesting to see which team takes the lead in this best of 5 series before the WNBA format changes next season.