Following one of the greatest breakout seasons we’ve ever seen, Atlanta Dream guard-forward Betnijah Laney has been named the 2020 WNBA Most Improved Player the league announced today.
Laney earned 25 of the 47 total votes from a panel of national sportswriters and broadcasters. Myisha Hines-Allen (Washington Mystics) finished in second place earning 21 votes and Angel McCoughtry (Las Vegas Aces) in third with one vote.
Laney is a five-year league vet who began her career with the Chicago Sky after getting drafted by the franchise in 2015 as the No. 17 overall pick. Laney bounced around from Chicago to Connecticut and Indiana before landing a spot with the Atlanta Dream this season. Laney was signed by Atlanta as a free agent after being waived prior to the season and averaged career highs of 17.2 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.
Laney started every game for the Dream this season and scored over 20 points seven times. The six-foot guard/forward scored over 30 twice this season. Prior to this 2020 season, Laney’s career highs had been 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game which she set with the Indiana Fever in 2019.
Laney credit’s Atlanta Dream head coach Nicki Collen for her confidence this year and the green light to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor. On a recent Winsidr podcast, Laney told the story of Collen approaching her at practice and instilling in her a more offensive minded approach. The Dream finished 7-15 in the regular season and just barely missed the WNBA playoffs after a tight race with the Dallas Wings and Washington Mystics down the stretch.
Laney earns herself an additional $5,150 and a Tiffany & Co trophy.
