WASHINGTON — Shortly before Betnijah Laney-Hamilton debuted for the Washington Mystics on Aug. 11, head coach Sydney Johnson was asked how much of the playbook Laney-Hamilton had learned since the Mystics claimed her off waivers three days earlier. Johnson said she was still learning it, but he pointed out that she knew that night’s opponent, the Las Vegas Aces, better than anyone else on the roster.
That’s because Laney-Hamilton is in her 10th WNBA season, making her easily the most experienced player on a very young Mystics team. She had played 26 career games against the Aces up to that point, including four in the 2023 WNBA Finals and four in the 2024 WNBA semifinals. By comparison, the Mystics’ two next-most experienced players had combined to play 27 games against the Aces, none of which were in the playoffs.
Scores are only part of the story
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