The question of charter flights has arisen again over the years WNBAbut not for the reason many people might guess.
On the heels of Brittney Griner released from Russia, where the six-time WNBA All-Star was detained for nearly 10 months after being convicted of carrying hash oil in her luggage, concerns remain about her trip. Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, opens the season Friday in Los Angeles.
Griner will have to fly privately due to security concerns, according to reports, which could create problems across the league. Would the recognizable 6-foot-9 center fly on his own, away from the Mercury? Would the Mercury charter as a team, giving Phoenix a clear competitive advantage? Is it possible for all WNBA teams to affiliate in the name of fairness?
It’s a complicated question.
Who is asking for charters?
In late January, seven-year veteran Breanna Stewart, last offseason’s hottest free agent who left Seattle and joined the New York Liberty, tweeted: “I would love to be part of a deal that helps subsidize charter travel for the entire WNBA. I would contribute my NIL, posts + production hours to ensure we are all traveling in a way that prioritizes player health and safety, which ultimately results in a better product. Who is with me?”
Her post garnered support from many in the basketball community, including many WNBA players who responded with the emoji of a woman raising her hand to imply they would also participate. Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne responded: “I’m in!” At any rate.
NBA players even weighed in, with Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant saying, “Count me in.” »
But WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert rejected the idea, previously telling ESPN: “We’ve asked all the major airlines. We asked charter companies. I’ve been working on this since I came into the league. Without the intervention of sponsors, it’s just not in the cards at the moment.
“If we could sponsor it or fund it in some way…I’m all ears.” I have received numerous calls over the past year about this since we have been back in our 12 markets. Then when people price it, you never hear from them again.
Engelbert estimated that chartering the entire season for all 12 teams would allow cost more than $20 million. In previous comments to the New York TimesEngelbert said during the 2020 CBA negotiation, players “didn’t ask to travel first class or charter. They asked for more pay.”
But officers dispute the idea that it’s one or the other.
Jade-Li English of Klutch Sports Group, which represents many WNBA players including two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, said for her clients, travel is the No. 1 issue and should be prioritized over everything else, including expansion.
“It’s very disappointing to see the league not wanting to prioritize player health, safety and fairness,” English told USA TODAY Sports via text message. “The NBA and WNBA are globally influential leagues. It’s hard for me to believe that they can’t find a one-size-fits-all solution to meet the needs of these female players. Suggesting that these women haven’t done knowing their consensus on this issue is misleading.”
In April, likely in response to significant internal and external pressure to improve travel, Engelbert and the WNBA announced an increased charter program for the 2023 season. This year, teams will participate in the entire playoffs, to the WNBA Commissioners Cup game and regular season “select” competitions where teams will have back-to-back games scheduled.
Engelbert and the WNBA declined to comment to USA TODAY Sports for this story, although the league is expected to work with Griner and her representatives to ensure her safety.
The WNBPA did not respond to specific questions about Griner, but told USA TODAY Sports in a statement that the players’ association is “always looking for ways to support members.” Travel is a unique problem that we seek to solve every year with creative solutions and resources. We recognize that this is a health and safety issue for all of our members.
Earlier this week, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello — who coached Griner for eight years in Phoenix — told reporters that every WNBA team would travel with security this year, which many players and agents do have been asking for years.
Details on Griner’s specific security will remain private, although her agent, Wasserman’s LKC, told USA TODAY that she is “pleased with the travel and security accommodations made by the WNBA and Phoenix Mercury.”
Phoenix coach Vanessa Nygaard confirmed Wednesday that the Mercury will have “a security presence with us all year.”
“It was important within our organization to ensure security, even before BG returned,” Nygaard said. “BG is a divisive political figure and we are very aware of that, so we have security. But it is generally necessary. Even last year we had no security and people were trying to get on our bus at hotels, people were meeting us at the airport for autographs. Autographs are good, but yes, it’s an improvement. Private colleges and high schools, they all have security; it is obvious to prevent an incident from happening.
How does WNBA travel work now?
Charter flights have been a point of contention within the league for years. The WNBA, although subsidized by the NBA, primarily uses commercial air travel. In the ABC 2020the league accepted Upgrading players to Economy Plus or Comfort seats, to provide additional legroom. Before the 2022 Finals, Engelbert announced that the league would be created during the five-game Championship Series.
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But there are problems. Last season, the Los Angeles Sparks found themselves stranded in Washington, D.C., after a canceled flight, and forced to sleep at the airporta fiasco documented by Nneka Ogwumike, the president of the WNBPA, via his Twitter account.
During last season’s WNBA quarterfinals, then-Connecticut Sun coach Curt Miller said the team was unable to practice before Game 3 in Dallas because after the cancellation of ‘a commercial flight and a last minute rush to get a charter, the the plane could not support the weight of the Suns’ luggageincluding their training equipment.
In 2018, a nightmare travel day for the Las Vegas Aces where they were delayed almost a full 24 hours. led to the cancellation of a match against the Washington Mystics.
Some owners have taken the journey into their own hands and paid the price – literally.
In March 2022, Sports Illustrated revealed this owner of the New York Liberty Joe Tsai fined $500,000 when the league found out he had chartered the second half of the season. Sports Illustrated also reported that at a September 2021 WNBA Board of Governors meeting, the majority of the league voted against the full-time charter. Several players expressed their frustration, with guard Mercury Skylar Diggins-Smith called the news “shameful”.
Flying private is nothing new for the Mercury. After Phoenix won Game 5 of the 2021 Semifinals against Las Vegas, Diana Taurasi chartered a private plane to return home to Phoenix and his wife, Penny Taylor, so that Taurasi could be present for the birth of their second child, a daughter named Isla.
Aces coach Becky Hammon, a longtime NBA assistant, talk about travel during the 2022 All-Star Game.
“I know we’re locked into the CBA we’re in right now, but we need to get these girls from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible because it directly affects the product you sell to the store.public,” Hammon said.
How will security work for Griner?
The WNBA spent months calling on the Biden administration to do whatever was necessary to release Griner. On December 8, Biden announced that Griner was returning home in the United States after a prisoner exchange for the famous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. His return home was met with celebration – and vile comments from the far right.
Critics said Griner, who has been a vocal advocate for Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community, should not have been traded for a convicted felon known as the “Merchant of Death.” U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) called the trade “weak and disgusting“, and social networks are full of voices denouncing his release. A political analyst called the trade “a bad deal for America and the rest of the world.”
High-profile prisoner exchanges or releases like Griner’s often involve a member of the military — think former U.S. Sen. John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than five years, or the soldier from Army Bowe Bergdahl, who was held captive by Vietnam. Taliban from 2009 to 2014. The U.S. government generally does not provide security for civilians, meaning Griner will likely have to pay out of pocket for security.
Liz Cathcart, executive director of Hostage taking in the United States, a nonprofit that helps families of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained, told USA TODAY Sports that most people who return after being held captive do not need security. The American Trevor Reed, released in April after being wrongfully detained since 2019did not require private security and would not have the option of flying privately or retaining private security given the cost.
Follow Lindsay Schnell on Twitter @Lindsay_Schnell
