Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty were scheduled to fly to Dallas on Wednesday for a highly anticipated showdown against the Wings. However, their Delta flight was delayed, ultimately forcing the postponement of the game.
On Friday, the two-time MVP shared their ordeal that was caused by “mechanical issues.”
Breanna Stewart Reveals What Happened During Liberty’s Flight Delay to Dallas
Fiifi Frimpong of the Daily News interviewed a few Liberty players, who shared their experiences during the lengthy delay.
According to him, Sabrina Ionescu called the episode “pretty boring.” Stewart, though, was more expressive with her reaction.
“We wanted to get to Dallas. We were literally like on the tarmac, doors closed, couldn’t get off the plane for 10 hours. Like no more snacks, no more food type situation,” Stewart said.
Sabrina Ionescu read and walked around the plane for some of the 10 hours the Liberty were stuck on the tarmac. Chris DeMarco watched film & some staff did push-ups.
“We wanted to get to Dallas. We were literally like on the tarmac, doors closed, couldn’t get off the plane for…
— Fiifi Frimpong (@FiifiFrimpong) July 17, 2026
Frimpong wrote that the team “managed to board a different aircraft to reach Dallas, but there were no pilots available to fly,” prompting another response from the three-time WNBA champ.
“There was no way for us to get there. Like at some point, there [were] no pilots coming, and we were like, ‘Can we go back home?’”
The reporter continued with Ionescu’s added take on the delay:
“I mean, it happens. We’re not like you know the first people that this has happened to. Just sucks it took as long as it did, but it is what it is.”
The delay forced the WNBA to move the Liberty-Wings game to Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
Ionescu said that the changed schedule wasn’t the “perfect scenario,” but was thankful the league found a solution “that worked best for both teams.”
New York, which hasn’t played since Sunday, hopes to end a three-game losing streak. The Liberty’s first loss during that stretch was an 88-77 loss to the Wings on July 7 despite 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists from Stewart.
This season, the Liberty are 0-2 against Paige Bueckers’ team.
The Liberty were one of the favorites to win the title heading into the season. They held a 10-4 record midway through last month. Since then, they are 3-7. Ionescu wants her team to make a surge to gather momentum just before the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, the Wings also took a hit following the changed schedule. They will host the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday before hosting the Liberty roughly 24 hours later.
