A WNBA matchup between the New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings, originally scheduled for Thursday night at the College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, was postponed after mechanical issues with the Liberty’s charter flight left the team stranded on a tarmac for 12 hours. The league officially announced the postponement on Thursday morning. The game has been rescheduled for Monday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT). According to the Dallas Wings, all tickets purchased for the original Thursday date will be honored for the rescheduled Monday tipoff.
The 12-Hour Delay
The travel ordeal began on Wednesday, with Liberty staff and players documenting the situation on social media as they remained in New York throughout the night. Assistant coach Kristen Mann reported on Instagram that the team had spent nine hours on the plane without moving. Liberty rookie Pauline Astier also provided updates via Instagram, noting at approximately 10:30 p.m. that the team had been on the tarmac for 10 hours. While severe weather, including thunderstorms and poor visibility caused by Canadian wildfire smoke, triggered hundreds of flight delays across both the New York tri-state area and North Texas, the WNBA stated that the postponement was specifically the result of the mechanical issues with the charter flight rather than the weather.
For more on this story, see WNBA Prediction: Las Vegas Aces vs. Dallas Wings – Expert Analysis & Betting Tips.
Impact on Team Schedules
The postponement forces a significant adjustment to the schedules of both organizations. The Dallas Wings, who were notified of the potential for a game-day impact shortly before midnight on Wednesday, transitioned their scheduled shootaround into a practice session. “It was definitely a weird wakeup,” said Dallas guard Azzi Fudd. “But I think we did a great job pivoting.” Dallas head coach Jose Fernandez noted that the team is treating the disruption as a test of their response to chaos. The rescheduled game adds to a busy stretch for the Wings, who are now set to play on back-to-back nights. They are scheduled to host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday before facing the Liberty on Monday. For the New York Liberty, the delay provides an unexpected period of rest before they travel to Indiana to face the Fever on Saturday, July 18. New York will have only one day off following that contest before returning to Dallas for the rescheduled matchup.
This follows our earlier report, Super Confident WNBA Basketball Prediction: Mystics vs. Liberty – Daily Limited | Jiebao Score.
Context of WNBA Travel Policies
The postponement highlights the ongoing challenges of professional sports travel, even following the WNBA’s recent mandate requiring teams to utilize charter flights. The league’s move to full-time chartering, initiated in May 2024, was intended to mitigate the “travel nightmares” that previously plagued teams when they flew exclusively via commercial airlines. Historically, commercial travel led to various issues for WNBA teams, including cramped seating and logistical failures. In previous instances, such as a 2018 incident where the Las Vegas Aces were forced to forfeit a game due to travel delays, or a 2022 situation where Los Angeles Sparks players were left without hotel accommodations after flight rebookings, players were often subjected to significant physical and logistical burdens. While the WNBA’s investment in charter flights has generally reduced these issues, the Liberty’s experience serves as a reminder that mechanical failures can still disrupt league schedules regardless of the travel method.
Read also: WNBA Fire vs. Liberty 13-Point Victory: Coach Zhu’s Basketball Prediction & Analysis.
Updated Schedule Information
The following table summarizes the updated status of the affected game: | Event | Original Date | Rescheduled Date | Location | | :— | :— | :— | :— | | New York Liberty vs. Dallas Wings | Thursday | Monday, July 20 | College Park Center | | Tipoff Time | N/A | 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT | Arlington, Texas | Broadcast details for the rescheduled game remain to be finalized and will be announced at a later date.
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