Liberty Wings game postponed after charter plane delays
The New York Liberty and Dallas Wings game set for Thursday, July 16, 2026, has been postponed after mechanical issues with New York’s charter flight caused travel delays. The WNBA rescheduled the Liberty Wings matchup for Monday, July 20, at 8:00 p.m. ET, and Dallas will honor all original tickets.
Key Takeaways
- Thursday’s Liberty–Wings tip-off in Arlington was called off due to charter-flight mechanical problems.
- New York spent many hours stuck on the tarmac before the league acted.
- The makeup game is Monday, July 20, at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET).
- The Dallas Wings will honor tickets bought for the original date.
- New York still faces Indiana on Saturday before retrying the Dallas trip.
Official word came from the WNBA on July 16: travel delays tied to mechanical issues on the Liberty’s charter flight forced the postponement of a game originally set for 8:00 p.m. CT (9:00 p.m. ET) at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
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Why was the Liberty Wings game postponed?
The league said mechanical issues with New York’s charter plane created travel delays that made Thursday’s tip-off impractical. Reporting from The Athletic described a long ordeal on the ground: the Liberty were stranded on a tarmac for about 12 hours.
Assistant coach Kristen Mann posted that the team spent nine hours on the plane and went “nowhere.” Players and coaches shared the delay on social media Wednesday, and the club was still in New York late that night. Dallas learned near midnight that plane trouble could affect the game.
Storms hit both the New York area and north Texas, with heavy delays reported around Dallas airports. The WNBA, however, pinned the postponement on the Liberty’s mechanical charter problems—not weather.
When will the Liberty Wings play instead?
The makeup date is Monday, July 20, with tip-off at 7:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. ET). Broadcast details were still being finalized when the change was announced. The Wings said they will honor every ticket purchased for the original Thursday date.
The rematch keeps a high-profile billing, including Dallas star Paige Bueckers opposite New York. Fans who held Thursday tickets should not need a new purchase for the rescheduled tip.
How does the postponement change each team’s schedule?
New York’s next game remains Saturday against the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis. The Liberty will then attempt the Dallas trip again for Monday’s makeup before continuing their slate.
Dallas shifts into a compressed home stretch: the Wings host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday, then play the rescheduled Liberty game the following night—a rare College Park Center back-to-back created by the travel mess.
In short, a grounded charter turned a nationally watched Liberty Wings night into a Monday do-over, with ticket holders protected and both clubs adjusting on the fly.