Catlin Clark and Angel Reese are gradually reshaping the landscape of the WNBA. Recently, Cathy Engelbert, the league’s commissioner, announced a significant transition to charter flights just a week before the season started. This move came as both a surprise and a celebration for players, who had long contested the previous mandate to fly commercial. Notably, in 2022, New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai was fined $500,000 for chartering flights against league rules. Phoenix Mercury guard Sophie Cunningham, the team’s union representative, noted that there was no prior consultation with the WNBPA, raising questions about the league’s previous stance on the issue.
“We’ve been fighting for it for quite some time and the fact that it came out of nowhere proves that we have the money to do it,” Cunningham stated last week. “We need to start treating us like the elite athletes that we are. We are grateful that it finally happened.”
Players took to social media to celebrate their inaugural charter trip. Fever guard Erica Wheeler shared a tour of the team’s plane on Instagram ahead of their journey to Connecticut. Liberty star Breanna Stewart, a vice president on the WNBPA’s executive committee, suggested a potential interim solution: allowing teams not offered league charters to secure their own until a full 12-team solution is implemented. “2 out of 5 WNBA teams traveling today are on WNBA charters – and that’s a win,” Stewart wrote. “It could be a bigger one if the W allowed teams who were not offered League charters to secure their own until a full 12 team solution is ready.”
An Instagram user, MoneyMaking Tone, acknowledged the impact of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark on women’s basketball and their role in the WNBA’s move to charter flights.
The WNBA officially announced a full league-wide charter program to be phased in starting with the 2024 regular season. This groundbreaking initiative reflects the league’s strategic business transformation efforts over recent years. “We are thrilled to announce the launch of a full charter program as soon as practical for the 2024 and 2025 seasons,” said WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert. “We feel confident that the time is now to institute a full charter program to demonstrate our commitment to leading with a player-first agenda.”
Delta Air Lines, a prominent sports charter provider, will primarily operate the program. Delta’s CEO, Ed Bastian, expressed excitement about partnering with the WNBA: “We’re looking forward to providing the WNBA with the welcoming, caring and elevated service that Delta people have made famous.”
Seattle Storm forward and WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike also praised the policy change: “On behalf of the players, I express my appreciation and support for a bold move by the Commissioner and team governors that in turn shows that they understand and value the health and safety of the players. It is time to be transformational. It’s time to bet on women.”
In February 2022, the WNBA raised $75 million in capital, which has been strategically invested in marketing, digital transformation, globalization, and fan engagement. The league’s media and corporate partners have been instrumental in this growth. The WNBA’s 28th season kicked off on May 14th, marking a new era in the league’s evolution.
