Laney-Hamilton was difference maker for the Liberty in win over Lynx that evened WNBA Finals 1-1

NEW YORK — Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has been working her way back for the last six weeks since she returned from having surgery on her right knee.

The Liberty guard looked like her pre-surgery self Sunday, scoring 20 points in New York's 80-66 win over Minnesota that evened the WNBA Finals series 1-1.

“I think everyone has seen her. She’s been struggling but she’s been feeling good these last few days, can tell you that much,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “We just knew it was a bit of time. We’ve given her so much rest here and she was ready to go. She puts the work in. Like I said, she’s tough. We talked about the grittiness that she gives us.”

Laney-Hamilton, who had knee surgery on July 16 and returned to the lineup on Aug. 26, said she felt good after hitting her first drive of the game. The former Rutgers star said that she had “a little bit of everything” done to try and get her knee right.

“I think it gives me a little bit of momentum going through the series,” said Laney-Hamilton, who had five points in the opening loss. “I’ve been struggling physically and mentally as I’ve been going through everything. ... Finally starting to feel good and capitalize on it.”

Laney-Hamilton, who had her college coach C. Vivian Stringer in attendance, brings so much to New York on both ends of the court when she’s healthy.

“I think we missed her grittiness and just she’s the ultimate competitor. She takes pride — she used to always guard the best player and obviously now we have Leo, too, that makes us really a versatile defensive team. But you also miss her play-making,” Brondello said. “That’s something we talked about this year. We wanted to make sure she could play-make more and it was hard for her to play-make when she was hobbling around with the knee. We need her to get confidence first, and then to go out and play.”

When Minnesota got within 68-66 with 3:40 left in the fourth quarter, Laney-Hamilton started the game-closing 12-0 run with a 3-pointer in the corner that gave New York a cushion it wouldn't relinquish.

“She’s just impactful because she plays at both ends of the floor, and plays hard, and she’s a winner," Brondello said. "So happy that she got the success tonight and keep building on it.”

Laney-Hamilton also got a chance to meet Jennifer Hudson after the game. The singer wanted a chance to connect with her. The two chatted for a few minutes after the win.