Bates (20), a member of the Tall Ferns, was travelling to Auckland with team-mate Natalie Purcell, of Christchurch, when their flight was cancelled because of dangerous winds in Wellington.
The players were rebooked on a direct flight to Auckland at 8.50pm, but it departed late and failed to get to Auckland in time to connect with the international flight to Beijing.
"We missed two connecting flights," Bates told the Otago Daily Times from Auckland yesterday.
"It's the first international flight I've missed.
"But it has added to the adventure of the Olympics for me. I'm excited about competing at Beijing in my first Olympics."
The rest of the New Zealand basketball team arrived in Beijing yesterday, while Bates and Purcell finally boarded a flight to Sydney from Auckland at 4pm to join a connecting flight to Beijing.
An "Otago at the Games" Olympic profile of Suzie Bates will appear in tomorrow's Otago Daily Times.
