Mystics Claim Betnijah Laney-Hamilton Off Waivers, Waive Rori Harmon

The Washington Mystics have claimed wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton off waivers, the team announced. Washington waived rookie guard Rori Harmon in a corresponding move.

The New York Liberty released Laney-Hamilton on Thursday. The WNBA trade deadline had passed four days earlier, on Aug. 2, without a deal for her. She is playing on an expiring contract valued at $400,000.

Through 17 games with New York this season, five of them starts, Laney-Hamilton averaged 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 16.8 minutes. She shot 36.2% from the field and went 9-of-37 from 3-point range.

Her last appearance for the Liberty came July 12 at Toronto. She was ejected in the fourth quarter after picking up Jonquel Jones' shoe and throwing it, inadvertently hitting Marina Mabrey, and it was her second technical foul of the game. New York played eight games after that one. Laney-Hamilton was a healthy scratch for all eight.

Laney-Hamilton's name had been in trade talks since the start of the season, multiple league sources told The Athletic's Annie Costabile. The asking price from Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb was prohibitively high, according to Costabile, and no deal came together.

Laney-Hamilton has played 10 seasons. Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, and Atlanta came before she signed with New York in 2021. She has 251 regular-season games and 160 starts, and her career averages are 9.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.

Indiana waived Laney-Hamilton in June 2020. Atlanta signed her seven days later, and she set career highs of 17.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.6 steals. She shot 48.1% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range. She won Most Improved Player. The All-Star selection came the following year, and she made All-Defensive teams in 2020 and 2023.

Laney-Hamilton has played 26 playoff games, 25 of them starts, and averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists there. She started all 11 games of New York's 2024 championship run. In Game 2 of that Finals series against Minnesota, she scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep, in the Liberty's first win of the series.

A native of Clayton, Delaware, Laney-Hamilton was the 17th overall pick in the 2015 WNBA Draft, taken by Chicago after four years at Rutgers University.

Washington is 18-12, third in the Eastern Conference, and has won six straight.

The Mystics beat Atlanta 79-74 on Friday night at CareFirst Arena. Shakira Austin finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kiki Iriafen added 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, and Sonia Citron scored 14. Nine Mystics played.

Washington took Harmon 34th overall in the 2026 draft, in the third round, out of Texas. She played 8 games. Her averages were 1.0 point, 1.0 rebound, and 1.4 assists, and she shot 22.2% from the field. Her rookie deal carried a base salary of $270,000. Washington is expected to bring her back on a developmental contract.

Harmon left Texas as the program's all-time leader in assists and steals. She started 156 of the 158 games she played in Austin over five years. She was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and made the SEC All-Defensive Team twice.

Mystics coach Sydney Johnson has also run the front office since April, when Washington fired general manager Jamila Wideman.

Washington hosts Phoenix on Sunday, then plays at Las Vegas on Tuesday and Thursday.