The WNBA is on the verge of announcing charter travel for all 12 teams this season “as soon as the planes are ready,” commissioner Cathy Engelbert told sports editors at a league meeting Tuesday afternoon, confirming the X report. . Kristin Brennan, sports columnist for USA TODAY.
This significant change in how the world's best women's basketball players travel to games will eliminate the league's long-standing policy of requiring players to fly commercially during the regular season.
“We're probably going to do it as soon as we're ready,” Engelbert said of the WNBA's charter trip. “Maybe it will take us a few weeks, it may take us a month to fund a full charter program for this year. … We’re really looking forward to the prospects here.” .”
The WNBA's decision comes as the league is experiencing unprecedented growth, ticket sales, and more, as the most famous rookie class in WNBA history, led by perhaps the nation's most famous athlete, Caitlin Clark, begins regular season play on May 14. The event was held amidst a lot of interest.
Clark and the rest of the WNBA rookies also had to fly on a commercial plane for the first time as professional players for a preseason game last weekend, and members of the public walked near them, got up close and personal, and took photos and videos. This also coincided with the fact that I was exposed to such things as taking pictures. In unsecured airport areas. This season, all teams will be accompanied by security guards.
In June 2023, Phoenix star Brittney Greiner, who had been detained in Russia for nearly 10 months in 2022, was harassed at a Dallas airport by a right-wing YouTube personality who yelled at her in the airport concourse and then attacked Phoenix. He even got into an argument with Mercury's security guard.
This season, the league had already planned to allow teams to use charter flights when playing back-to-back games, not just during the playoffs, but would allow commercial flights otherwise. The league has not allowed charter flights for years, arguing that it gives teams willing to pay a competitive advantage over those who don't.
Commercial flights are part of the current collective bargaining agreement with WNBA players signed in 2020. Ironically, all WNBA rookies flew on chartered planes throughout their college careers due to Title IX requirements.
Contributors: Roxanna Scott and Christine Brennan
