Laney-Hamilton returns to starting lineup, helps Liberty to 77-70 win over Storm

By DOUG FEINBERG The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 18 points in her return to the starting lineup and the New York Liberty beat the Seattle Storm 77-70 on Thursday night. Laney-Hamilton returned from a right knee injury on Aug. 26 that sidelined her for roughly six weeks after she had surgery. Sabrina Ionescu added 17 points and Jonquel Jones had 15 for the Liberty. The win moved the Liberty a step closer to clinching the top seed in the WNBA playoffs. New York has a 3 1/2-game lead over Connecticut and Minnesota with six games left to play. Seattle trails Las Vegas by 1 1/2 games for the No. 4 seed.