The WNBA announced Monday that the league will be expanding its use of charter flights this year.
Previously, the league only provided chartered flights for the WNBA finals and WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game, along with selected games during the regular season. Now, charter flights will be provided for all 2023 WNBA playoff games and for regular-season games in which participants are playing back-to-back games.
“We continue the hard work of transforming the business of the league, and the ability to expand this program is a direct result of that,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a press release. “Since joining the league a few years ago, a goal of mine has been to enhance the overall player experience and, in that regard, make incremental improvements where we are able to do so and when we believe the economic model would support it for the long-term. I’m pleased that we are able to broaden the program this year for the players. As the league continues to grow, we will look to do more in the future.”
Travel has been a hot topic around the WNBA in recent years, starting back in 2021 when the Liberty were fined $500,000 for chartering flights against league policy.
Last year, various WNBA stars such as Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud, discussed how their health and safety was compromised when they flew commercial flights despite the threat of COVID-19. Stewart was one of the WNBA players who tested positive shortly after flying commercially.
Stewart pledged to help improve the WNBA’s charter flight situation in January, and numerous fellow WNBA players showed support for her stance.
The additional charter flights are expected to cost the league about $4.5 million this season, according to the Associated Press.
