New York Liberty player Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected from Sunday's game against the Toronto Tempo after throwing a shoe that struck opponent Marina Mabrey in the back. The incident occurred with 1:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, with Toronto holding a 91-89 lead.
Laney-Hamilton insisted after the game that she was attempting to return the shoe to her teammate Jonquel Jones after it had fallen off, not to hit Mabrey. The throw, however, resulted in a technical foul for Laney-Hamilton, her second of the game, leading to her ejection. The Toronto Tempo went on to win the game 93-91.
Officials reviewed the play, with the pool report stating that the shoe hit Mabrey in the back and the technical foul was assessed for throwing a projectile onto the court. The Liberty had staged a significant comeback, rallying from a 20-point deficit before falling short.
Mabrey and Laney-Hamilton had a history of verbal exchanges throughout the game, and both players were assessed technical fouls in the third quarter. Following the shoe incident, Mabrey initially appeared angry but was calmed by referees and teammates. She later stated that she believed Laney-Hamilton was just trying to get the shoe back to Jones.
"I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they're not looking," Laney-Hamilton said, according to the New York Post. "Teammate was without a shoe, so I did my best to try and get it to her. Unfortunately, it did hit someone."
Liberty coach Chris DeMarco expressed frustration with the call, calling it "atrocious." He maintained that Laney-Hamilton did not intend to hit Mabrey. Toronto coach Sandy Brondello also indicated she believed the shoe throw was unintentional.
The New York Liberty's record now stands at 13-11. Their next game is scheduled for Thursday against the Dallas Wings. The Toronto Tempo improved to 10-13 with the victory.