A recent matchup between the Toronto Tempo and the New York Liberty became particularly contentious, culminating in the ejection of a Liberty player. The incident involved Betnijah Laney-Hamilton throwing a shoe that struck Tempo guard Marina Mabrey, leading to a technical foul and her removal from the game.
The game, which the Tempo ultimately won 93-91, saw Laney-Hamilton ejected at the 1:48 mark of the fourth quarter. The shoe-throwing occurred during a stoppage in play, as a charge drawn by teammate Sabrina Ionescu was under review. Laney-Hamilton picked up a shoe that Jonquel Jones had lost moments earlier and threw it, hitting Mabrey in the back.
Following a review, Laney-Hamilton received a technical foul for throwing a “projectile onto the court.” This was her second technical foul of the game, resulting in an automatic ejection. Mabrey then took the technical free throw, which extended Toronto‘s lead to two points.
Game Tensions and Reactions
The shoe incident was not the only contentious moment involving Laney-Hamilton and Mabrey during the game. Earlier in the third quarter, at the 3:19 mark, Laney-Hamilton was assessed a technical foul after a dustup where Mabrey pushed her to the floor. Both players, who had been involved in chippy exchanges throughout the game, received technical fouls for this interaction.
Additionally, Laney-Hamilton was called for a flagrant-1 foul at the 2:08 mark of the second quarter. This occurred during a scramble for a loose ball, where Laney-Hamilton‘s arm made contact with Mabrey‘s face. These events contributed to a tension-filled game for the Liberty forward.
After the game, Mabrey commented on the shoe-throwing incident, stating that she did not believe it was intentional. She told media, “I had to take a couple breaths. But I think she was really just trying to get the shoe back to JJ. But I’ll take the free throw.”
Laney-Hamilton also addressed the situation, appearing to confirm Mabrey‘s sentiment. She stated, “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 and get it to her. Unfortunately, it did hit someone.” She added that despite the game’s intensity, intentionally hitting someone in that manner is not something she would do, particularly with the game on the line.
Official Explanations and Coach’s Comments
Crew chief Kevin Fahy provided an official explanation of the ejection in a postgame pool report. He confirmed that Betnijah Laney picked up a shoe, threw it at Marina Mabrey, and it hit Mabrey in the back. This action led to Laney-Hamilton receiving her second technical foul and subsequent ejection from the game.
Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco expressed strong disapproval of the officiating following the game. He remarked on the unusual nature of the shoe incident, stating he had “never seen anything like that.” DeMarco also criticized a referee’s call that overturned possession and gave the ball back to the Tempo, calling it an “atrocious call.” He further commented on a perceived lack of a foul call for a Liberty player driving to the rim, describing the situation as “atrocious, pathetic.”
The Tempo‘s victory moved their season record to 10-13, while the Liberty‘s record fell to 13-11 following the 93-91 loss.
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Source: bleacherreport.com
Ethan Brule is a Senior Hockey Writer at CasinoNews. He covered the NHL for a national Canadian outlet. He focuses on the NHL, the Maple Leafs and Team Canada and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. He holds a degree in Sports Media from Toronto Metropolitan University. Now based in Toronto, he plays beer-league hockey and follows the junior ranks. “Hockey in Canada is never only about the score.”
