Brittney Griner’s safety concerns force WNBA to tackle travel woes once again

After spending most of 2022 unjustly detained in RussiaWNBA star Brittney Griner is ready to return to her regular life, including basketball. Next to a prisoner exchange which led to his release in December, the Phoenix Mercury center made it clear that his career on the court is far from over. In a December Instagram PostGriner wrote: “I also want to make one thing clear: I plan to play basketball for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who have advocated, written and published for me in person soon.

However, it looks like things won’t be business as usual when it comes to Griner’s travel arrangements. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburnecharter flights for players have once again become a central conversation for the league “due to the assumption that Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner will have to fly private for security reasons.”

Learn more

Due to the time she spent in prison in Russia, it is believed security concerns will make it difficult for the two-time Olympic gold medalist to travel on commercial flights. Possible options could allow the eight-time All-Star to fly privately alone, or the Mercury to charter private flights, a choice that would have ramifications for the entire league. If one team can use private travel, it’s not fair to other teams who still have to use commercial planes. The question of fairness arose in 2022, when New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai was fined $500,000. for using charter flights during the second half of the 2021 WNBA season. According to the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, players can reserve Economy Plus or Comfort seats. Well, that looks super comfortable for a 6-foot-9 professional athlete.

Charter travel is a controversial topic for the league. Over the past few years, several teams have been affected by canceled flights and travel delays. Yes, we all have travel nightmare stories, but when your flight is delayed and you’re spending the night in the airport, no one expects you to go out and compete against the best basketball players in the world. And despite what some people think, COVID is still a problem. When the league experienced a surge of cases last season, players blamed outbreak on commercial travel.

Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA champion and the hottest free agent of the 2023 offseason, has made charter flights an important point in her meetings and negotiations with potential teams. On Sunday, the four-time WNBA All-Star 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 would ultimately result in a better product. Her post was greeted with an emoji of a person raising their hand by several WNBA players, including Chiney and Nneka Ogwumike, Kahleah Copper, Napheesa Collier, Natalie Achonwa and Layshia Clarendon.

While it is ridiculous that these players have to plan on paying accommodation costs that should be covered by the teams or the league, it seems like this is the only way for them to be treated like the professionals they are. .

Cathy Engelbert, WNBA commissioner previously told ESPN, “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.

The use of charter flights has been an ongoing problem for the WNBA, and it doesn’t appear a solution will be found anytime soon. If cancellations, COVID, and crews literally sleeping at the airport haven’t solved the problem, I doubt Brittney Griner’s increased safety concerns will.

More from The Root

Register for The Root newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter And Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.