Brittney Griner intends to return the WNBA, but special arrangements will reportedly be required in the aftermath of her Russian prison ordeal. Across the league, it has been assumed Griner will need to travel on chartered planes to minimise security risks after she was detained in Russia last year.
The 32-year-old – an eight-time WNBA All-Star – was arrested at an airport 11 months ago after a small amount of hashish oil was discovered in her luggage, leading her to be wrongly detained for nine months before she was finally released in a prisoner swap that saw arms dealer Viktor Bout, dubbed the 'Merchant of Death' returned to Moscow in December.
During her time in Russia, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison after pleading guilty to possessing the oil, despite the standard sentence being 15 days, and in November, it was announced she had been transferred to a female penal colony in Mordovia.
The new WNBA season is due to begin on May 19 and ESPN reports Griner has indicated she wants to return to the Phoenix Mercury, but her experience could force significant changes to regulations for all teams in the league.
WNBA teams are banned from flying privately because the cost is prohibitive for many franchises and the requirement to fly commercially levels the playing field.
But the heightened security risks for Griner following her imprisonment by the Putin regime make it unfeasible to travel on commercial flights, and there are concerns about fairness for other franchises if her teammates are allowed to fly with her. However, ESPN reports league sources say Griner is yet to officially request "special travel accommodations".
It is estimated it would cost $30million per season for all teams to charter private planes for their games, with the New York Liberty fined $500,000 by the WNBA for chartering private planes during the 2022 season.
Former MVP Breanna Stewart, one of the WNBA's premier free agents and a passionate Griner supporter throughout her ordeal, is understood to have made charter travel a key factor in deciding her future, and she has indicated she is willing to contribute financially.
She tweeted on Sunday: "I would love to be part of a deal that helps subsidise charter travel for the entire WNBA. I would contribute my NIL (name, image and likeness), posts and production hours to ensure we all travel in a way that prioritizes player health and safety, which ultimately results in a better product. Who's with me?"
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert says the matter will be addressed, but a solution is yet to be announced.
