The WNBA recently announced that the 2024 and 2025 seasons would include charter flights for players and staff traveling to games. However, some details are still really fuzzy about how this will all work out with the 2024 season tipping off on Tuesday.
The 2024 draft class is bringing a lot of eyes to the game. With more eyes comes a lot more scrutiny and a mountain of concern about key issues plaguing the league.
First, it was WNBA salaries. Then, the momentum shifted to charter flights, and the questions started getting louder after Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever teammates traveled commercially through an airport ahead of a preseason game. Days later, the WNBA announced that charter flights would be happening this season, but the implementation plan still seems a bit unclear.
Here’s everything we know about the WNBA’s growing charter flight program and the hurdles it faces:
In 2023, Brittney Griner and her Mercury teammates were harassed as they walked DFW Airport in 2023, producing major security concerns
In May 2024, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and the Indiana Fever traveled through the same DFW's airport where Griner was harassed
This brought the issue to the forefront again.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced at an Associated Press sports editors meeting that the league would begin full-time charter flights this season
Per USA TODAY, here’s what Engelbert shared at a recent league meeting:
“The WNBA will begin charter travel for all 12 of its teams this season “as soon as we logistically can get planes in places,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told sports editors at a league meeting Tuesday afternoon, confirming a report on X by USA TODAY sports columnist Christine Brennan.”
“We intend to fund a full-time charter for this season,” Engelbert said. “We’re going to as soon as we can get it up and running. Maybe it’s a couple weeks, maybe it’s a month … We are really excited for the prospects here.”
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert's news reportedly took some WNBA team front offices by surprise
Soon after the announcement, Ben Pickman of The Athletic reported that several WNBA GM’s were unaware of the commissioners announcement.
Here’s what The Athletic’s report revealed:
“News of a full charter program is momentous for the WNBA, which will begin its 28th season on May 14 as viewership numbers are skyrocketing and a new crop of stars are entering the league. However, Engelbert’s comments also came as a surprise, at least to some around the sport. As of mid-afternoon on Tuesday, multiple general managers, who are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, told The Athletic they were not made aware of changes to the travel plans prior to Engelbert’s announcement.”
For The Win spoke with a WNBA source about this revelation, and they shared that all teams were notified about the charter flight changes.
The WNBA formally announced that charters would be phased in at the start of the 2024 season and that flights would be operated by Delta Airlines
Here’s the official press release the WNBA sent For The Win:
The Indiana Fever and Minnesoya Lynx reportedly recieved charter flights for their first game of the 2024 season
Per Jackie Powell of The Next, the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx recieved charter flights to kick off the 2024 season. The Fever’s Erica Wheeler also seemingly confirmed the flight with an Instagram story post.
2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Steweart shared her thoughts on the WNBA's charter flight execution and offered a solution
Following the initial news of charter flights, more details of the WNBA's rollout plan were revealed, including the news that some teams are still unsure of how the league's plan will work
Per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou’s full story on the WNBA’s charter flight program, some teams have started chartering flights, but others are in the dark.
The Fever shared that the charter flight allowed them to do things they hadn't before, like practicing before flying. Flying privately even got a rousing endorsement from Cailtin Clark
The WNBA recently held a town hall with players and Commissioner Engelbert, but did not perhaps receive the updates they were hoping for
The WNBA's charter flight situation could change soon...hopefully
According to Willie G. Ramirez of the Associated Press, Commissioner Engelbert revealed that charter flights for every team could begin as soon as the week of May 20. Lindsay Schnell of USA TODAY also confirmed the news.
