Its best when she's ready (speaking from potty training experience) so no, you're not waiting to long. Buy a potty and just introduce her to it but don't push her. Let her get comfortable first and give her lots of praise when she sits without a diaper/underwear on.
When she's showing signs of readiness after you introduce the potty, I agree that going straight to underwear is the best way to go. 👍
If she pees in them, reestablish that big girl's use their potties and don't pee in their pretty panties. Find which rewards work best (a lot of people choose sticker charts) and ask/take her often, make it fun, make up a potty song or read a book together to keep her engaged.

I've been trying since my daughter was one and she is so stubborn that as soon and she knows I want her to use the potty, she stopped trying. anyway, fast forward to NOW. over the weekend, she hasn't had pull ups at all. I cut them out completely after her last one on Friday. she had been using the toilet. only one or so accidents a day. each one was my fault for slacking and 1 was because it happened at school.
I feel like cutting out all diapers/ pull ups and ONLY using underwear would help. yes, there would be messes, but it could help derail her from thinking "I could just use my diaper." I read that at about 18 months is when children can begin controlling it. they just need our help knowing where to go and how.