Liberty-Wings postponed after New York charter flight trouble
The WNBA moved Thursday’s New York-Dallas game to Monday after mechanical issues left the Liberty delayed on the tarmac.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The New York Liberty’s trip to Dallas turned into a long airport slog, and the WNBA called off Thursday’s game against the Wings after mechanical problems hit New York’s charter flight, CBS Sports reported.
The matchup was postponed fewer than 10 hours before it was scheduled to tip off, according to CBS Sports. The league rescheduled the Liberty-Wings game for Monday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET.
Liberty rookie Pauline Astier gave a glimpse of the delay Wednesday night on Instagram. According to CBS Sports, Astier posted at 10:25 p.m. ET that the team had been on the tarmac for 10 hours.
The official reason for the postponement was the mechanical issue with the Liberty’s plane, CBS Sports reported. Weather was also making air travel messy in both cities Wednesday.
CBS Sports reported that severe thunderstorms in the New York area caused flight delays. In North Texas, KERA News reported more than 900 storm-related delays and a one-hour FAA-required ground stop at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Love Field.
A rare schedule scramble
The postponement stands out in a league where games are rarely moved once they are set, CBS Sports noted. The last WNBA postponement cited by CBS Sports came in 2023, when a Liberty game against the Minnesota Lynx was delayed because of air-quality problems in Brooklyn tied to Canadian wildfires.
The league’s travel setup has changed sharply in recent years. CBS Sports reported that WNBA teams shifted from commercial flights to full-time charter flights in 2024, a move players had long pushed for after years of rough travel days.
Before that change, travel problems had already affected the schedule in a major way. CBS Sports pointed to 2018, when the Las Vegas Aces forfeited a game against the Washington Mystics after spending more than 25 hours in transit and reaching their hotel only four hours before game time.
What it means for Dallas and New York
The new date gives the Wings an unusual quick turnaround at College Park Center. Dallas is scheduled to host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, then come back the next night for the Liberty makeup game.
CBS Sports reported the Wings are 16-8, fourth in the standings and on a five-game winning streak. Even with the added back-to-back, the postponement means Dallas will go a week between games.
The Liberty, meanwhile, are 13-11 and eighth in the standings, according to CBS Sports. New York has lost three straight games, its second three-game skid of the season.
Before the rescheduled Dallas stop, the Liberty are due in Indianapolis to play the Indiana Fever on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, with the game set to air on CBS and Paramount+, CBS Sports reported.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.