Watch: Betnijah Laney-Hamilton carries Liberty to big lead in WNBA Finals Game 2

Laney-Hamilton had 13 points in the first half of the Liberty's WNBA Finals matchup with the Minnesota Lynx Sunday, then scored New York's first four points of the second half. It's a big effort from the Liberty's veteran, who battled knee problems this season that kept her out for seven weeks.

She had a quiet Game 1, scoring just five points, though she did hit a three-pointer to give the Liberty a 15-point lead with 5:20 to go. But those were her last points of the game, and the Liberty would score only two more in the fourth quarter.

Laney-Hamilton's early bucket-getting Sunday was huge for a New York team that didn't get any scoring from Stewart or Ionescu for the first 8:36 of the third quarter. While she's primarily known for her defense, Laney-Hamilton picked the perfect time to hit her high score for any playoff game this year.

The Liberty headed into the fourth quarter with a 61-53 lead.