Toronto Tempo defeats New York Liberty in game marked by shoe-throwing ejection

By Liam Tremblay — 13 July 2026 — 3 min read

Tense Matchup Culminates in Ejection

A recent matchup between the Toronto Tempo and the New York Liberty was marked by a contentious moment when Liberty guard-forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was ejected from the game. The incident occurred with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, which the Tempo ultimately won 93-91.

The ejection followed Laney-Hamilton throwing a shoe that belonged to her teammate, Jonquel Jones, which struck Tempo guard Marina Mabrey in the back. Jones had lost her shoe during a play, and Laney-Hamilton, who had been substituted out at the start of the fourth quarter, was not on the court at the time of the initial play.

According to crew chief Kevin Fahy, Laney-Hamilton received her second technical foul of the game for throwing a “projectile onto the court,” leading to her automatic ejection. Mabrey was awarded a free throw, which she successfully converted.

Player and Coach Reactions to the Incident

Both Laney-Hamilton and Mabrey addressed the shoe-throwing incident after the game. Laney-Hamilton stated that she did not intend to hit Mabrey. “I would never intentionally try to hit someone with a shoe, especially while they’re not looking,” Laney-Hamilton said, adding that she was attempting to return the shoe to her teammate.

Mabrey also indicated that she did not believe the action was intentional. “I had to take a couple breaths,” Mabrey commented, suggesting that Laney-Hamilton was likely trying to return the shoe to Jones. Despite the unintentional nature, Mabrey noted, “But I’ll take the free throw.”

New York head coach Chris DeMarco expressed frustration regarding the officiating, particularly the call that led to Laney-Hamilton’s ejection. DeMarco described the officiating as “atrocious,” stating, “I’ve never seen anything like that. We had all the momentum in the world. A shoe hit somebody. Ejected, free throws.” He also reiterated his belief that Laney-Hamilton’s action was unintentional.

Game Context and Previous Tensions

The shoe-throwing incident occurred during a game that had already seen several tense moments between Laney-Hamilton and Mabrey. Earlier in the third quarter, Laney-Hamilton received a technical foul after a dustup with Mabrey, where Mabrey pushed Laney-Hamilton to the floor. Both players were assessed technical fouls for this interaction.

Additionally, Laney-Hamilton was assessed a flagrant-1 foul in the second quarter. This occurred during a scramble for a loose ball, where Laney-Hamilton’s arm made contact with Mabrey’s face. These prior events contributed to the chippy atmosphere of the game.

The Liberty had been trailing the Tempo for much of the game but mounted a potential comeback in the fourth quarter. However, the Tempo ultimately secured a narrow 93-91 victory. While Mabrey’s free throw was not the sole factor in the outcome, the disruption caused by the ejection may have impacted the Liberty‘s momentum.

The loss marked the third consecutive defeat for the Liberty, causing them to fall to seventh place in the league standings. The Tempo‘s win improved their season record to 10-13, while the Liberty‘s record now stands at 13-11.

Source: bleacherreport.com