The New York Liberty sat on a tarmac for 12 hours Wednesday after mechanical issues grounded their charter flight. As a result, the Liberty vs Wings matchup, originally set for Thursday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas, was postponed.

The WNBA confirmed the highly-anticipated game will now tip off Monday, July 20th at 8 PM ET. Broadcast details will be finalized in the coming days.

What Happened to the New York Liberty's Charter Flight?

Still, the delay did more than shuffle a schedule. Liberty coaches and players spent the extra time documenting the ordeal on social media. Assistant coach Kristen Mann shared that the team spent nine hours on the plane and went "nowhere."

Rookie Pauline Astier posted a similar update around 10:30 PM ET, confirming the Liberty hadn't moved as her teammates dined on airline-provided dinners.

Meanwhile, Dallas handled the pivot in stride. A planned shootaround turned into a full practice, and the Wings shifted their focus to Sunday's matchup against the LA Sparks. The rescheduled Liberty game now puts Dallas in a back-to-back series.

WNBA Reschedule Liberty vs Wings Matchup

Fans holding tickets to the original Liberty game should keep them, as the WNBA will honor them on Monday.

The WNBA’s valuation just hit a historic new gear. On Friday, the league finalized a massive 11-year, $3.1 billion TV deal with partners like Disney, NBC, and Amazon, skyrocketing its annual revenue to $281 million — nearly 6.5 times its previous mark.

The agreement, first confirmed by Front Office Sports, consolidates a broad portfolio of broadcast partners, including Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBCUniversal, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount (CBS), Scripps (ION), and USA Network. The $3.1 billion total was reached after the league secured a $2.2 billion foundational deal in July 2024 and subsequently added USA Sports while renewing contracts with Scripps and Paramount.

This financial level up comes as the league's global footprint reaches new heights. Ahead of the Toronto Tempo’s inaugural regular-season tip-off, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert revealed that Canadian WNBA League Pass subscriptions surged 50% year-over-year in 2025, proving the league is expanding on multiple fronts.

How to Watch the WNBA: 2026 National Broadcast Schedule and Streaming Partners

Fans can expect an unprecedented level of access starting with the 2026 season. The WNBA TV deal locks in 216 national games, covering more than 65% of the league's 330-game regular season schedule. The distribution breakdown highlights a multi-platform strategy:

The postseason is also getting a fresh look. For the first time since 2000, a Disney-owned network will not hold exclusive rights to the WNBA Finals. Instead, the championship series will rotate among partners, with NBC and USA Network handling primary coverage.

WNBA TV Deal: Inside the Reset Clause and Expansion Potential

The shift to a multi-partner model (which includes Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, and Peacock) brings the WNBA into the modern "streaming wars." While having games across numerous apps and cable channels can make discovery a "battle," Engelbert views this as a necessary byproduct of a competitive market. She noted that while fans may navigate multiple subscriptions, the increased investment from these media giants via the updated WNBA TV deal is what allows for enhanced "shoulder programming" and prime-time marketing.

With "re-set" provisions built in for 2028 and a new revenue-sharing model on the horizon, the league is positioned to keep rising alongside its viewership.

The 2026 WNBA season is approaching, and fans are already searching how to watch WNBA preseason games as teams prepare for opening day.

This year brings expanded broadcast coverage across multiple platforms, making preseason matchups easier to follow than in previous seasons.

Several preseason games will be available via a mix of national broadcasts and streaming services. Select games are expected to air on networks like ESPN and NBA TV, while others stream on platforms tied to the league's new media rights deal.

For fans, knowing how to watch WNBA preseason games ensures they can follow early storylines before the regular season officially begins on May 8th.

The 2026 WNBA Preseason Game Schedule

Key WNBA preseason matchups include:

While preseason games may not count toward teams' 2026 record, they offer an early look at lineups, rookie debuts, and new and developing roster dynamics.

How to Watch 2026 WNBA Preseason Games

Fans can stream all the preseason action via WNBA League Pass, a service that typically carries out-of-market games. The WNBA has made this year's preseason lineup free to view, allowing fans to sample the league's streaming platform before committing to the $39.99 for the complete season.

ION is broadcasting four preseason games to a national audience this year. That national coverage tips off on April 25th as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever visit Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty in Brooklyn.

The 15th WNBA team is starting to spark, with incoming expansion side Portland Fire dropping their inaugural 2026 jersey designs this week.

"Our 2026 jerseys are an embodiment this new era of the team: bold, innovative, and resilient," said Fire senior VP of marketing and communications Kimberly Veale in the team's Wednesday press release. "Every element was shaped with Portland in mind, honoring our legacy, while capturing the spirit and energy of this incredible city we represent."

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The two-jersey lineup includes the white WNBA Nike Heroine Edition with "Fire" written on the front "signifying the city's passion for the team," as well as a red WNBA Nike Explorer Edition "celebrating the Fire's legacy" in the league's return to Portland.

Both jerseys also feature a left shoulder patch for sponsor Chime, after the financial services company officially signed on to be the team's banking and credit partner on Tuesday.

Additionally, the franchise unveiled new secondary "PDX" logos on Wednesday, designed to reference local geographic icons like the Willamette River and Mt. Hood.

Notably, the team is still without a roster, as ongoing CBA negotiations have thrown the WNBA calendar in flux.

Barring a work stoppage, the first-ever Portland Fire game will tip off against the visiting Chicago Sky on Saturday, May 9th.

How to buy a Portland Fire WNBA jersey

While the white "Heroine Edition" is not yet available for purchase, fans can now buy an "Explorer" jersey, as well as apparel from the new PDX logo capsule collection, at the Portland Fire's online Team Shop.

The 2026 WNBA schedule has arrived, as the league released key dates on Wednesday despite ongoing CBA talks that threaten to delay the start of the upcoming season.

Opening day will be Friday, May 8th, when the WNBA tips off with a tripleheader featuring incoming expansion side Toronto Tempo against the Washington Mystics, the New York Liberty hosting the Connecticut Sun, and the Golden State Valkyries visiting the Seattle Storm.

Fellow 2026 addition Portland Fire will debut on Saturday, May 9th, hosting the Chicago Sky to close out another tripleheader that includes a 2025 WNBA Finals rematch between the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury, as well as a Rookie of the Year showdown between the Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings and Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever.

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Other 2026 season highlights include the return of the annual WNBA Commissioner's Cup in June and the Chicago Sky-hosted All-Star Weekend in late July, with the league set to pause for a two-week break in early September to allow its stars to compete in the FIBA World Cup.

After the regular-season closes on Thursday, September 24th, the 2026 WNBA Playoffs will tip off on Sunday, September 27th, with a repeat of last year's best-of-three first round, best-of-five semifinals round, and best-of-seven Finals.

Notably, the 2026 WNBA schedule drop falls within the current status quo period, which allows the league to conduct certain aspects of its business as usual under the old CBA while continuing to negotiate new terms with the players union.

"I'm just starting to see [the light at the end of the tunnel]," New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart told Front Office Sports this week, hinting at a bargaining resolution while an official work stoppage remains on the table.