WNBA postpones Liberty-Wings game after travel delays

A WNBA game scheduled for Thursday, July 16, was postponed after the New York Liberty encountered significant travel delays due to mechanical issues with their charter plane, forcing the league to reschedule their matchup against the Dallas Wings. The game will now be played on Monday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET in Dallas, with the Wings honoring all tickets purchased for the original date.

The Liberty's travel troubles began on Wednesday evening. Rookie Pauline Astier shared a photo on social media from the plane's tarmac around 10:25 p.m., captioning it in French to indicate the team had been waiting for 10 hours. After switching planes, the team ultimately deboarded around 12:30 a.m. The issues led the Liberty to cancel their Thursday shootaround. The postponement disrupts the rhythm for both teams; the Wings will now face a back-to-back schedule, though both games are at home, while the Liberty will have only one day off after their Saturday game against the Indiana Fever.

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges of professional sports travel, even after the league's move to full-time chartered flights prior to the 2024 season, a policy change intended to avoid such...