An unusual moment involving Betnijah Laney-Hamilton overshadowed an intense WNBA game on July 12, 2026. People wanted to know why a player would throw a shoe during a live play. 

New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones lost her shoe during a play with about 1:48 left on the clock. Laney-Hamilton picked up the shoe and tried to throw it back to her teammate. Instead of reaching Jones, the shoe struck Toronto Tempo guard Marina Mabrey in the back. 

Laney-Hamilton later clarified, "I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they're not looking. The teammate was without a shoe, so I did my best to try to get it to her. Unfortunately, it did hit someone." 

This quote was shared in an X post by UnderdogWNBA, crediting New York Post journalist Madeline Kenney, covering the postgame media availability. 

Laney-Hamilton rejected the idea that she intentionally targeted Mabrey with the throw. She described the toss as an attempt to return Jones' shoe, so her teammate could keep playing. 

She also added, "I know just by the way that things were going throughout the game that it can look a certain way, but that's just not something that I would personally do ... especially in a moment like that where the game is on the line." 

She acknowledged why people could misunderstand the play because of everything else that had happened earlier in the game.

Even with her explanation, the officials explained in a pool report that she threw the shoe and it hit Mabrey in the back, which resulted in a technical foul. 

Because it was her second technical foul of the night, the rules required an automatic ejection from the game. Mabrey converted the technical free throw that followed. 

As of now, there has been no additional WNBA discipline announced beyond the in-game ejection.

Why did the shoe toss become more controversial? 

Laney-Hamilton and Mabrey had been guarding one another closely throughout the game. They engaged in constant physical play and verbal exchanges from the early minutes. This background is why many believed the shoe throw was a purposeful act.

According to ESPN, the two players got into a shoving incident during the 3rd quarter. That resulted in double technical fouls, one for each player. Later on, Laney-Hamilton received a Flagrant 1 foul after making contact with Mabrey's face. 

Liberty interim head coach Chris DeMarco believed Laney-Hamilton was trying to return Jones' shoe. He criticized the officiating and argued that the ejection hurt the team's comeback attempt. 

New York had erased much of a 16-point deficit by outscoring Toronto 27-13 in the 4th quarter. Toronto head coach Sandy Brondello believed the throw was an accident, even though her team benefited from the call. 

Mabrey herself also responded to the moment, saying she believed Laney-Hamilton was just trying to get the shoe back to Jones, while joking that she would gladly "take the free throw." 

Toronto held on for a 93-91 victory, and the Liberty dropped its 3rd straight game. 

Do you think the automatic ejection was the right call for an accidental throw in a tense moment, or should the referees have handled it differently? 

Read more at Her Sports Nation! 

Written by

Utsav Sinha

Edited by

Utsav Sinha