NEW YORK – JUNE 1, 2021 – The WNBA announced today that New York Liberty guard/forward Betnijah Laney has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, May 24, through Sunday, May 30. The honor is Laney’s first in her career.
Over the last week, Laney has recorded averages of 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. The Liberty’s marquee free agent signee opened the season setting a franchise record of seven consecutive games with 20+ points to begin the year. Throughout the league’s history, the record for the longest 20+ point streak to open a season is 9 and is held by Cynthia Cooper (1999 season).
On Saturday May 29, for the seventh consecutive game, Betnijah Laney scored 20 or more points, finishing with 20 points, tied a career-high 11 assists and had a season-high six rebounds against the Atlanta Dream. The only Liberty player to record 20+ points in 7+ consecutive games, at any point in the season, is Tina Charles (longest streak of 9 games).
As of June 1, Betnijah ranks in the top 10 across the WNBA in points per game (5th, 22.3), field goals made per game (4th, 7.9), assists per game (6th, 5.0), minutes per game (4th, 35.2), free throws made (T-2nd, 34) and usage rate (4th, 27.7%).
This is the 42nd time in franchise history that a Liberty player has earned Player of the Week honors, and the second consecutive week a member of New York has won the award (Sabrina Ionescu, 5/14-5/23).
Laney and Ionescu’s back-to-back awards mark the first time a Liberty player has received Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks since Tina Charles in 2017 (August 28, 2017 & September 5, 2017).