It shouldn’t take Betnijah Rainey Hamilton much longer.
But she missed her second straight game, Liberty’s 98-88 win over the Sparks on Saturday afternoon at Barclays Center.
Lainie Hamilton, who started every game this year before missing Thursday and Saturday’s games against the Sparks, is struggling with a right knee injury.
Head coach Sandy Brondello said Laney Hamilton’s status is evolving day to day and a decision will be made on game day.
Veteran Kayla Thornton was once again named to the starting lineup for Laney Hamilton and scored 20 points on Saturday.
“She’s getting better,” Brondello said of Laney Hamilton. “She’s making progress.”
Laney Hamilton, one of the Liberty’s best defenders, is averaging 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals this season.
She is often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s high-scoring players.
Nyala Sabali also missed Saturday’s match due to a back injury.
Courtney VanderSloot returned to the team after missing seven straight games.
She has been away from the team since her mother died of cancer last week.
VanderSloot was listed as questionable for Saturday’s game but was held back in order to ensure he was match fit.
“It’s been a tough time for her and her family,” Brondello said. “She’s back in town, and we’re just trying to give her a little encouragement, but we’re not going to push her. … We’re just going to hold her as tight as we can because it’s a tough situation to get through. We’re her family too, and we know how she feels.”
“The decision on when she will return will be when she is ready.”
In VanderSloot’s absence, Sabrina Ionescu has expanded her creative horizons.
She averaged 7.8 assists per game in the first six games with VanderSloot sidelined and added a game-high nine assists Saturday.
Six games remain before Saturday. Michel Farsi of the New York Post
“I think people know who she is, but I don’t think they realize how good she really is,” Brondello said. “She’s not just a shooter. She’s a playmaker, she has great vision. She’s a little bit like Diana Taurasi in terms of her shooting ability, her ability to create opportunities for other players and just continuing to improve her game every year.”
The Liberty has made up for the absence of starters VanderSloot and Laney Hamilton, but the reserves have struggled.
With Thornton and Leonie Faivich starting, Liberty got very little scoring off the bench.
Kennedy Burke, Ivana Dojkic and Markesha Davis played a combined 38 minutes off the bench Saturday but did not score.
As a result, the Sparks had a commanding 39-0 edge in bench points.
