The WNBA League’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert, has reportedly announced that the league will spend $50 million over the following two years to offer the teams full-time charter flights. The improvement comes after long-standing concern regarding player safety.
During Engelbert’s meeting with sports editors, she mentioned that the league will begin the change “as soon as we can get planes in places.” The Women’s National Basketball Players Association president, Nneka Ogwumike, mentioned that the upcoming change is “transformational.”
Charter flights are coming to the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/oE1UNRAQXj
— ESPN (@espn) May 7, 2024
The president further continued, as per ESPN, “Our league is growing, the demand for women’s basketball is growing. That means more eyes on us, which is what we want, but that means more protection from the organization that we play for, the whole W that we play for.”
Ogwumike also emphasized the player’s “safety measure” and that the change welcomes a “great day” for the league. Multiple players, including Napheesa Collier of Minnesota Lynx, Natasha Cloud of the Phoenix Mercury, shared their thoughts on the safety of players as well.
The WNBA had previously declared that it would again cover the cost of charter flights for consecutive games in the upcoming season and the playoffs. The plan came into motion last year and the league spent $4 million on charter flights. During that time, the commissioner shared that to bring on complete coverage, the league would require stability in their financial position.
Due to the addition of collegiate sensations like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, and many more, the league has achieved incredible feats. Generational talent like Clark has fundamentally changed the game and her title game smashed viewership records as well.
Minnesota Lynx, head coach Cheryl Reeve, shared, “We’ve had moments in the league. But this is clearly a movement. And if you think it’s not, you’re going to get left behind.”
Becky Hammon, the two-time consecutive WNBA champion head coach of the Las Vegas Aces, also mentioned, “Everybody’s very happy they’re not going to have to stand in security lines as much, or as long.”
The WNBA upcoming season also achieved another incredible feat with 2023 WNBA champions, the Aces, reporting first that they had sold-out their tickets for the season.
