WNBA Champion Betnijah Laney-Hamilton on Making History

We don’t know about you, but we’re still thinking about the 2024 WNBA season, the most highly rated regular season ever on ESPN platforms, a 170 percent increase from last season. It also had a whopping 154 sellout, up 242 percent from 2023, according to the W.N.B.A.

Then we haven’t even talked about the individual performances of some players. For example, forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton returned from a knee injury and played a crucial role in New York Liberty’s championship win. She even earned the game ball after her dominant performance in WNBA Finals Game 2 against the Minnesota Lynx.

PS had the chance to sit down with Laney-Hamilton via Zoom as part of her partnership with Adidas to talk about what it felt like to win her first WNBA championship, what it was like to play in the WNBA during this record-breaking year, and what she’ll do next.

PS: Hello! Congratulations on your win – what a great match and season. How are you feeling? How have your days been since winning Game 5?

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton: Thank you! Today was actually the first time I was able to reflect and put everything into perspective. I woke up feeling grateful and happy to be in this moment and to be able to achieve this goal with my team. It’s been a very long week, from the festivities to parades and more festivities and all that. A lot of my family and friends were here and it was really nice to see everyone standing around me, supporting me and lifting me up.

PS: That’s great! The PS offices are close to the ticker-tape parade route, so we were cheering last week.

BLH: The parade was probably my favorite part. It was great to see everyone on the streets as we passed by on floats.

PS: PS does a lot of coverage of women’s sports, and it feels like this past season has been so exciting and validating with increased coverage. I saw that Game 5 was the most watched WNBA Finals in 25 years! Did the shift feel noticeable as a player?

BLH: Yes. Just the atmosphere when you walk into the arena this year was really noticeable. The way we were strengthened, you could really feel it. And yeah, it was quite validating because this is something that we have been do, these are the things we have been capable of. But now to have their eyes on usthe pressure from our partners and everyone who does everything they can to strengthen us and attract viewers to what we do, what we are capable of – it really means a lot.

PS: Thinking back to the beginning of your professional career, has anything happened in recent years that you would have been surprised or excited to hear?

BLH: I would say that I have overcome the obstacles that I have faced – whether it was due to injuries, waivers and other challenges. To be able to overcome that and cement myself in the league and now be a WNBA champion is incredible.

PS: Is there anything specific you learned from dealing with these obstacles, especially the injuries, this past season?

BLH: Yes, I would say I’m definitely a very resilient person. I feel like there is literally nothing I can’t handle right now. I’ve been at the lowest level and I’ve been able to pick myself up again and again and rebuild myself and just keep going no matter what I’m faced with, no matter what it is that I’m going through.

It’s about just trying to find the joy in the process. Everything may not always look the way I want it to look, but there is always something to be grateful for. There is always something to be happy about. If I’m dealing with an injury today, (I see it as:) I still have another day to get better. If I’m relinquished, (I see it as:) Okay, I have the opportunity to regroup and redefine who I want to be as a player.

That has allowed me to keep going in those moments when I’m dealing with obstacles, dealing with hurdles: trying to find something that I’m grateful for. I’m trying to find an area where I can grow. Thinking, “Okay, this might not be what I want it to be, but what can I learn from this? What can I learn from this? What can I do to move past this and become who I want to become?”

PS: That’s such a powerful way to look at challenges. Is that something you learned from someone or is it more innate to you?

BLH: I would say it’s something I’ve learned. I’ve been the person feeling miserable about something or drenched in whatever I’m dealing with. But if I kept doing that, I would stay there.

Early in my career I really started going to chapel. And my family is very faith-based. So in those moments, when people are talking to me and having a relationship with the Lord, I can come here. So it’s definitely something I’ve learned over the years and it doesn’t always look perfect, but I keep telling myself to keep going and that nothing is as bad as it seems. Everyone will encounter obstacles. That’s life. But it’s what you do about it. It’s how you bounce back from that. This way you continue to grow and find ways to simply get better.

PS: At PS we have reported a lot equal pay in women’s sportsand I know WNBA players are considering renegotiating their collective bargaining agreement. Do you have any thoughts on WNBA salaries and the progress players have been working towards?

BLH: We’ve talked about trying to get equal pay (taking into account) the number of games, what we put into them and the number of viewers we bring in. And so this collective bargaining agreement will be big, because our (media) deal is coming to an end and we don’t know exactly what the returns will be, but we do know it will be more. And so I’m really looking forward to just continuing to raise wages for the WNBA.

PS: Us too! Switching gears a bit, we are big sneakerheads at PS. We know you love playing in the Adidas Hardens. Which sneakers do you enjoy off the field?

BLH: Sambas are one of my favorites. I have them in many different colors. I like the Handball also. They have a lot of fun colors and the style is very versatile; you can dress it up, you can dress it up. I got the Yeezys, the Bad Bunnies, Gazelles. But if I had to choose one shoe to wear forever, it would be the Sambas. My white and black are my go-tos. But I really love my silver Wales Bonner ones. I have a few different pink ones: the Humanrace and light pink handballs. Anything pink is my go-to.

Mirel Zaman (she/her) is director of health and fitness at PS. She has over 15 years of experience in the health and wellness sector, covering fitness, general health, mental health, relationships and sex, food and nutrition, spirituality, family and parenting, culture and news.