like WNBA Increase in free agencies Free agents can sign new deals on Wednesday A big issue remains the league’s stance on charter flights. In almost all cases, teams are required to fly commercial players which has resulted in not only lost connections and late arrivals but also health issues.
Earlier this week, Breanna Stewart, the WNBA’s leading free agent and New York Liberty target, said she would be willing to contribute her earnings off the field to pay the teams, stating that she would produce “a better product…”
I’d like to be a part of a deal that helps support charter travel for the entirety of the WNBA.
I will be contributing my NIL hours, posts + production hours to ensure we all travel in a way that prioritizes player health + safety, ultimately leading to a better product.
Who is with me?
– Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) January 22, 2023
Also, there are reports that Phoenix Mercury may be They are allowed to travel by charter flight due to security concerns surrounding their co-star Brittney Griner, who was recently released from a Russian prison, further complicating the university’s long-running politics.
On Thursday night, Kyrie Irving broached the topic and seemed to indicate that a decision might be imminent. Irving is Vice President of the NBA Players Association, which works with the WNBA Players Association, and someone with a track record of helping WNBA players, Allocating $1.5 million in 2020 To help women who needed financial help during the “Wubble,” the WNBA’s version of the “bubble.”
“As one of the vice presidents at the NBPA, we’ve discussed a bunch of these things, and I hope it’s as easy as getting it tomorrow, but work takes a little bit of patience, and our W ladies have been patient for a long time,” Irving said. “We definitely have to get something done, and I’m with them.” No matter how much it costs. I think we can all band together and achieve something that is very possible, and we just want our ladies to have peace of mind while we play.”
The use of charter flights became an issue last year when the WNBA fined Liberty a record $500,000 and sacked Joe Tsai representative Oliver Weisberg from the league’s executive committee for violating the league’s travel policy by flying Liberty on flights. charter flight. This could be a good investment because it showed potential prospects how long Liberty and their owners, Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, would go on behalf of their players.
like Sports Illustrated reported at the time, there is a disagreement on this subject—as well as other issues—between the league’s old guard and a group of new owners including Tsais and Mark Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Aces. It is estimated that hiring travel for all teams will cost between $20 and $30 million.
Irving also touched on salary issues that required many WNBA players including starts like Stewart to play overseas in the WNBA off-season. Greiner was playing for a team in Ekaterinaburg, Russia. When she was arrested for drugs. The US described her situation throughout her nine-month imprisonment as “unjustly detained”.
“[WNBA players] You don’t need to be outside all the time. “They need to be here playing in front of their families every day doing what we do,” Irving said. “So I think it’s a lesson we’ve learned now about how we can attack this as a family because the W and the NBA, we’re a family. And I think things will be decided before the season starts. I’m very optimistic about that.”
The WNBA opened its season on May 19.
As more than one expert has suggested, the issue of travel could become moot if the NBA supports a women’s league, something the men’s league has not done despite record revenue and team ratings.