The WNBA is ready to take off!
Ahead of the regular season debut on May 14, teams are expected to fly chartered planes for road games, a departure from years of dealing with travel delays, cramped quarters and security concerns.
“We intend to fund a full-time contract for this season,” WNBA President Cathy Engelbert told reporters on Tuesday, May 7, according to the Associated Press.
Engelbert added that the change in air traffic will happen “as soon as we can put planes in certain places.”
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The switch from the WNBA’s 12 teams flying commercial flights to using charters will cost the league about $25 million per season over the next two years, ESPN reported.
The news has the players and those behind the scenes rooting for change.
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“Our league is growing, the demand for women’s basketball is growing,” said Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm star and president of the Women’s National Basketball Association. “It means more eyes on us, which is what we want, but it means more protection from the organization that we play for, the whole W that we play for.”
The move to charter planes also affects player safety concerns – something that came to the fore last season.
Last June, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and her teammates were harassed by YouTuber Alex Stein at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport shortly after Griner was released from Russian custody.
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Video of the incident showed Stein shoving a team security guard as he tried to get close to Griner.
The incident drew criticism of the WNBA’s policy against providing teams with charter flights.
And last week, as Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever traveled to their first visit to Dallas, airport visitors were seen hovering around the WNBA rookie, filming and taking pictures.
With increased interest in the league thanks to Clark and other newcomers like Angelo Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, the WNBA is responding to criticism that it has previously shown a lack of investment in its players, according to the AP.
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