Sports
New York Liberty found a key factor in Betnijah Laney-Hamilton for WNBA Finals win
NEW YORK — Betnijah Laney-Hamilton couldn’t immediately pick her favorite moment from the New York Liberty’s WNBA Finals Game 2 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. So here are some possibilities.
Perhaps she will reflect on her first made 3-pointer just over five minutes into New York’s eventual 80-66 win. That’s when Courtney Vandersloot knew it would be Laney-Hamilton’s night. “She looked different tonight,” Vandersloot said. “When she’s playing like that we’re a different team.”
Or maybe Laney-Hamilton will look back on her final 3-pointer with 3:21 remaining in the contest — a triple that stretched the Liberty’s lead from two points to five and halted another furious fourth-quarter Lynx rally — with the most fondness. “A corner 3 for (Laney-Hamilton) is a layup,” guard Sabrina Ionescu said.
Or will it be Laney-Hamilton’s postgame hugs with Ionescu and Kayla Thornton as a Barclays Center record 18,040 fans basked in the joy of a New York victory? Or her receiving the game ball in New York’s locker room that will be the most meaningful?
The options are numerous because Laney-Hamilton’s impact was immense. She tied her season high with 20 points and played stifling defense on Minnesota’s Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride.
“She plays at both ends of the floor, and plays hard,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “She’s a winner, so happy that she got this success tonight and (can) keep building on it.”
Bucket 🐝 was ACTIVATED 👑@BetnijahLaney is our @Withings Player of the Game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/C82OIprXaI
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) October 13, 2024
If Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will be remembered because of New York’s historic collapse, the second game will be remembered because of contributions made up and down the Liberty roster. An X-factor was the key factor.
“You need players beyond your starters, and for two games they’ve done that,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. “And we’re having trouble getting that consistently. We’ve got to have that.”
Laney-Hamilton’s starring role was especially welcomed for New York after her relatively minimal impact in Game 1. Her 26 minutes in that loss were the fewest among New York’s starters. On the eve of Game 2, Brondello was tempered while assessing Laney-Hamilton’s performance. “I think everyone sees that she’s trying. It’s not the same ‘B’ that we’ve seen all season long, but it is what it is,” Brondello said on Saturday.
Yet, Brondello noticed Laney-Hamilton knocking down 3-pointers consistently at the Liberty’s off-day practice and during Sunday’s pregame warmups.
Then the ball tipped, and Laney-Hamilton made an instant impact. Minnesota had been consistently going under screens she was involved in. Aggressive and open, she sunk her first 2-point jumper and her first 3-pointer two possessions later.
That was all part of the plan. New York has preached for her not to be passive.
“We know she can do this,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said.
But Laney-Hamilton didn’t always show it because of injury. She played in only 28 games during the regular season, missing 12 games between July 6 to Aug. 26 because of a knee procedure. Brondello said New York missed Laney-Hamilton’s playmaking and grittiness. “How she’s the ultimate competitor,” Brondello said.
Players other than Stewart, Ionescu and Jones emerged in her absence, which was paramount to the Liberty’s league-best 32 regular-season wins. It has also been key throughout the postseason as they stormed past the Atlanta Dream in the first round and overpowered the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. Laney-Hamilton had scored double-digits only one other time this postseason, and she hadn’t scored 20 points since early July.
It’s a credit to New York’s roster that different players can play a key role on any given night. In Game 1, for instance, Leonie Fiebich shined, making five 3-pointers and tallying 17 points. Fiebich had only one basket Sunday, and it didn’t matter.
Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points in the Liberty’s win. (Luther Schlaifer / NBAE via Getty Images)
“(General manager Jonathan Kolb) built this team to be able to withstand anything that any of the opponents in the W are going to be able to throw at us, and so it’s really good to see everybody stepping up,” Jonquel Jones said. “That’s what it’s going to take.”
The Lynx have X-factors who have emerged as well throughout their postseason run. Their two All-Stars, Napheesa Collier and McBride have been effective throughout the playoffs. But offensive bursts from Williams or Bridget Carleton, or rim-protection and timely 3-point shooting from Alanna Smith have often been the difference in Minnesota’s journey.
But through two games, the Lynx haven’t shown who will consistently step up. Williams was held in check with 15 points on Sunday. “(It’s) a huge difference,” Reeve said. “Both games (New York has) gotten help.”
Perhaps a return to Target Center will lift Carleton in particular. She has made only six of her last 30 3-point attempts. Perhaps a Minnesota reserve will provide a spark off the bench (it received just five bench points in Game 2).
After Sunday’s win, Laney-Hamilton wouldn’t go into specifics on her health. She chose to instead dwell on her accomplishments.
“To see a glimpse of what I’m capable of, it felt really good,” she said. And it was meaningful too. Her final 3-pointer especially changed the game’s momentum as the Lynx had slashed a 17-point New York lead to two.
History will show if that shot, and Laney-Hamilton’s overall play, changed the series when the finals resume on Wednesday night.
“She played a huge role in the game ending up in the way that it did and she’s gonna continue to do it for these next two games,” Ionescu said. “We believe in her. She knows that.”
(Photo: Dustin Satloff / Getty Images)
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In previous years, the Round of 16 was the first knockout stage match, but with an expanded field of 48 teams— it is now the second.
Let’s check out the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 2 for which countries are favored to make the Round of 16 and emerge from it.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
To Reach Round of 16
Argentina: -2000 (bet $10 to win $10.50 total)
Colombia: -550 (bet $10 to win $11.82 total)
Portugal: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Switzerland: -235 (bet $10 to win $14.26 total)
Egypt: -148 (bet $10 to win $16.76 total)
Australia: +122 (bet $10 to win $22.20 total)
Algeria: +186 (bet $10 to win $28.60 total)
Croatia: +260 (bet $10 to win $36 total)
Ghana: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Cape Verde: +1160 (bet $10 to win $126 total)
Now let’s check out the odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 2 for the matchups already in place.
SATURDAY, JULY 4
Canada vs. Morocco
To Advance: MAR -300, CAN +225
Moneyline: MAR -130, Draw +240, CAN +420
Paraguay vs. France
To Advance: FRA -1800, PRY +1140
Moneyline: FRA -600, Draw +600, PRY +1800
SUNDAY, JULY 5
Brazil vs. Norway
To Advance: BRA -245, NOR +196
Moneyline: BRA -120, Draw +260, NOR +340
Mexico vs. England
To Advance: ENG -134, MEX +110
Moneyline: ENG +145, Draw +210, MEX +200
MONDAY, JULY 6
USA vs. Belgium
To Advance: USA -110, BEL -110
Moneyline: USA +165, Draw +230, BEL +170
Sports
Thousand Oaks native Claire Liu finally reaches Wimbledon’s third round, will face Coco Gauff
LONDON — Claire Liu packed her bags and checked out of her London hotel room on Wednesday morning before heading to the All England Club.
It was more pragmatism than pessimism — a reality of a qualifier navigating her Wimbledon journey one day at a time.
But as her boyfriend reminded her while organizing her luggage: “Just because you’re packing doesn’t mean you’re leaving,” Liu recalled with a laugh.
He was right.
The Thousand Oaks native went on to win her second-round match against 51st-ranked Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey 7-5, 6-3, advancing to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her professional career. She had tried 29 previous times at majors, including qualifying rounds, since 2015.
“I was just super relieved to get through that,” said Liu, noting she had blown a set and a break lead in the French Open’s second round last month.
For Liu, who turned 26 in May, returning to the manicured lawns of SW19 brings her tennis journey full circle. Nine years ago, she captured the 2017 Wimbledon girls’ singles title — the first American to do so since Chanda Rubin in 1992 — and was the No. 1 junior in the world. She still holds fond memories of that heady achievement, including chatting with her idol, Roger Federer, at the Wimbledon Champions Ball.
Yet, the transition from teenage phenom to professional mainstay has been anything but a linear ascent. When asked if she expected to be in the third round of a major this late in her career given her junior success, Liu was candid.
“Younger me would have believed it more than now,” she said.
That shift in perspective comes after weathering some brutal setbacks.
Liu climbed as high as No. 52 in early 2023 but then endured a wrist injury and took a months-long mental health hiatus in 2024 that eventually saw her ranking plummet outside the top 400 last year.
Currently sitting at No. 146, she’s been rebuilding her standing by playing a mix of WTA 125 events and ITF tournaments before returning to the main WTA Tour, with 2026 stops in far-flung places from Bahrain to Boca Raton and plenty of places in between.
“My goals haven’t changed, but I think the stress of how I got there really took a toll on me,” said Liu.
To navigate the darkness, Liu leaned heavily into both sports psychology and traditional therapy, including EMDR, a technique that helps people process traumatic experiences. She also started a Substack newsletter called “Finding Claire-ity,” where she openly chronicles her life and struggles on the tour.
The Southern California native, who has trained at the USTA facility in Carson since she was 9 years old and resides in Redondo Beach, also split with her longtime coach last season, a difficult decision, and hired Clemens Wagner.
The switch following the U.S. Open last year is clicking.
“I saw in her someone who fought a lot of battles inside herself,” says Austrian-born Wagner, who has a background in tennis analytics.
Together, they have focused on keeping an “aggressive undertone” on the grass, emphasizing coming to the net and squeezing the most out of her game.
Wagner notes that the 5-foot-7 player’s game isn’t the flashiest, but describes her as a “silent killer” who excels at “redirecting pace, standing close to the baseline, constantly putting pressure on her opponents.”
The reboot is starting to pay significant dividends.
Liu put together her best stretch in years this spring, winning a lower-tier title in Trnava, Slovakia, her first professional title since 2024, and then qualifying for the French Open.
Having again successfully navigated three rounds of qualifying to reach the main draw here, Liu has now won five consecutive matches at Wimbledon. Not surprisingly, she currently has no sponsors, just equipment support from Head Sport and Asics Corp., making her Wimbledon run particularly lucrative. By reaching the third round, Liu achieved her highest career payday: around $250,000. A victory Friday would boost that to nearly $400,000.
First, she faces her biggest test yet: a third-round contest against two-time major champion Coco Gauff on No. 1 Court, which perhaps fittingly is the same show court where Liu won the girls’ title almost a decade ago.
Gauff, 22, noted that she and Liu haven’t crossed paths much since Liu is older, but expects a serious battle. Gauff won both of their previous meetings on hard courts.
“I feel like anytime you’re playing a qualifier, it’s always tough because they have three matches already,” the seventh-seeded American said.
Liu, who didn’t even know she was playing Gauff until a reporter told her after her match, is purposefully keeping her focus narrow.
“I will just take today to be happy for winning, and then tomorrow I’ll think about it,” Liu said. “Obviously she’s one of the best players in the world right now, so that’ll be a good experience.”
Veteran Jessica Pegula, 32, the top-ranked American who also toiled away on the sport’s lower tier before becoming a top-10 mainstay, appreciates Liu’s resolve.
“It’s always nice to see girls that are figuring it out slowly but surely,” the No. 4 seed said. “I think I can relate to that.”
Liu’s accommodations? Fortunately, her mother was able to rebook the same hotel after the match, which eased some of the logistical issues for her unexpectedly extended stay in London.
“It definitely makes me stay in the moment, like, day by day,” Liu smiled of her lodging limbo.
On Wednesday morning, Liu packed her bags expecting she might leave Wimbledon. Instead, she emptied them one more time, with the biggest match of her career still waiting.
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Folarin Balogun’s teammates came to his defense after the USA World Cup star was given a red card during the team’s 2-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday night.
Balogun received the red card after he stepped on defender Tarik Muharemovic’s right ankle. Brazilian referee Raphael Claus only gave Balogun the card after a VAR review. The red card meant Balogun will not be able to play in the team’s Round of 16 match against Belgium.
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United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, stands by after being issued a red card by Referee Raphael Claus, of Brazil, as United States’ Weston McKennie (8) looks on during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
A FIFA official told The Athletic a team cannot appeal against the red card or the suspension. The official pointed the outlet to a portion of the organization’s rules and regulations, which states, “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”
Balogun’s teammate, Weston McKennie, called the lack of an appeal process “bogus” and disagreed with the referee’s decision to issue the red card.
Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac (5) talks to United States’ Folarin Balogun after Balogun was sent off, as Christian Pulisic (10) watches during the World Cup round of 32 match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (Julio Cortez / AP)
“Obviously the ref made a decision that he made, but I think it’s questionable,” McKennie said. “I think there’s been many other plays like that throughout the tournament on other players that a card wasn’t given at all. It’s disappointing.”
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said Balogun’s act “was never intentional.”
“It’s never a red card. Never. … If the intention is to damage the opponent, OK, I understand. But that never was. It was a normal action in football that you are fighting for the ball and your feet land,” he said.
Balogun is the third player to score in a World Cup knockout match and be sent off. He follows Brazil’s Ronaldinho in 2002’s quarterfinal match against England and France’s Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.
Referee Raphael Claus of Brazil shows a red card to United States’ Folarin Balogun, right, during the World Cup round of 32 soccer match between the United States and Bosnia in Santa Clara, Calif., near San Francisco, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
It’s the fifth red card handed to an American in the squad’s World Cup history.
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Eric Wynalda received one against Czechoslovakia in 1990, Fernando Clavijo got one against Brazil in 1994 and Pablo Mastroeni and Eddie Pope each received one against Italy in 2006.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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