Caitlin Clark is one of the biggest athletes in America right now.
Her presence prompted nearly 19 million fans to watch the NCAA Women's National Championship game — four million more than those who watched the Men's Final. Fanatics even said her jersey broke the one-night sales record for the company after she was drafted by the Indiana Fever on April 15. (Though that record's since been broken by NFL No. 1 pick Caleb Williams.)
With that popularity comes a ton of security risks — Clark, like any major celebrity, is a household name that could be recognized wherever she goes. Security is one of the major reasons why sports leagues like the NBA and NFL allow their teams to travel via charter flights — on top of the benefits for rest and convenience that these provide.
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The WNBA does not allow its teams to fly private. Before you question whether this is because the league lacks revenue, you should know that this is actually a rule that was included in its Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2020.
Clark's popularity is unlike anything the WNBA has ever seen, but she is not above the rules of the league's CBA. So on Thursday, May 2, Clark was spotted with her team arriving at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in time for their scheduled preseason game with the Dallas Wings on Friday, May 3.
A video surfaced of her arrival, and as WNBA reporter Khristina Williams pointed out, it seems as though she had some added security alongside her compared to most WNBA players.
First look at the Indiana Fever travel this season. Caitlin Clark with a little extra security detail.
— Khristina Williams (@Khristina) May 2, 2024
pic.twitter.com/wX46Dz0jou
Based on the video, there was no ruckus surrounding Clark's arrival in Dallas — which could be partly because her team's playing an exhibition game.
But this could eventually present a problem especially as the season starts and if the league continues to grow.
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Last year, Brittney Griner actually faced harassment in the same airport. Griner returned to action in 2023 after being detained in Russia for 10 months — a story that was national news — and she was verbally provoked by a YouTube personality.
Instances like this have triggered WNBA players to clamor for chartered flights. The pockets of some owners are deep enough to provide private flights to their teams, like when the New York Liberty were caught flying charter in 2021 and were eventually penalized for it.
More Women’s Basketball:
- The harsh reality behind the shockingly low WNBA contracts
- Is Caitlin Clark losing money by going to the WNBA? Here are both sides of the argument
- WNBA Commissioner has big plans for the league's next media rights deal
The league has allowed for some special instances, including allowing Griner to fly charter after last season's airport incident, and allowing for teams to fly private during the 2023 WNBA Playoffs.
But the rule remains the same outside of these cases and will likely last until the first chance the WNBA players can opt out of the current deal which would be on Oct. 31, 2025.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to follow if the current policy creates any more of a ruckus when big name rookies like Clark and Angel Reese are seen in different airports around the country over the next four months.
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