WNBA player Breanna Stewart has been a strong advocate for charter flights in the league. The WNBA recently announced plans for charter flights, but the New York Liberty found themselves on a bus for their season opener in Washington. Stewart expressed her thoughts on the matter, stating that while two out of five teams were traveling on WNBA charters, it would be even better if teams not offered league charters could secure their own until a full 12-team solution is implemented.
The Liberty’s journey to Washington was long and inconvenient, with a five-hour bus ride and the expected traffic from Baltimore and D.C. However, Stewart still acknowledged the progress made with the introduction of charter flights. She emphasized that the rollout has been challenging and suggested that team owners who can arrange charter flights should be allowed to do so. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has urged patience, assuring that the full charter plan will be implemented as soon as possible.
Sabrina Ionescu, another Liberty player, commented on the situation, acknowledging that a 4 ½-hour bus ride is less than ideal but expressing excitement for future changes that will improve overall performance and nightly ability to perform.
The Liberty had initially expected to fly charter for their preseason game in Chicago until they were informed that they would have to wait for further instructions from the league. Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx were the only two teams to take private flights for their season-opening games.
Videos and pictures shared on social media showed the Fever players enjoying their charter flight, but even they are unsure if future charter flights are guaranteed. The league has yet to confirm if the Fever and Lynx will fly privately for upcoming away games.
Liberty coach Sandy Brondello expressed hope that the team would soon have access to charter flights. She highlighted the benefits of flying to games and returning home for better recovery time.
The WNBA’s charter plan comes at a cost of $25 million over the next two seasons and replaces the previous policy of only allowing charters in the postseason and for teams with back-to-back games during the regular season. This investment aims to provide better travel conditions and recovery opportunities for WNBA players throughout the season.
