untitled-design-2023-06-07t152801-792.png
usatsi

The WNBA announced that Wednesday night's game at Barclays Center between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty has been postponed due to poor air quality relating to wildfires in Canada. New York City has been placed under an Air Quality Health Advisory until Thursday morning. 

In a statement, the Liberty noted that the decision was made "to protect the health and safety of our fans, teams and community. 

A decision about rescheduling the contest will be made at a later date, but finding a spot in the schedule that's feasible for both teams will not be easy. 

The Lynx do not have another trip to New York City on the schedule this season, so this game will have to be made up at another point. They will be back on the East Coast in late July, but the Liberty will be on a West Coast swing at that time, so that won't work. And while the Liberty will be at home when the Lynx return East in late August, it's hard to find a date that makes sense for both teams around that trip. 

According to CBS News, New York City is second only to Delhi, India for the worst air quality and pollution out of 100 tracked countries as of Wednesday morning. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said the state recommends "vulnerable New Yorkers stay inside."

"This is an unprecedented event in our city, and New Yorkers must take precautions," Adams said. "At the moment, we recommend vulnerable New Yorkers stay inside, and all New Yorkers should limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible.

The WNBA is not the only league that has had to reschedule games due to the situation. In Major League Baseball, the Wednesday matchups between the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees in NYC and the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies in Philly have both been postponed. In addition, the NWSL announced that the match between Orlando Pride and NJ/NY Gotham FC in New Jersey has been called off.