The call for WNBA teams to have chartered planes has picked up again in recent days, and that fight "only figures to intensify as the WNBA heads toward a new collective bargaining agreement," according to Michael Rand of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. WNBA players flying commercial "has a symbolic element as one more disparity between pro women's players and their male counterparts." The WNBA "prohibits teams from using charters in an attempt to keep a level playing field between those teams who can afford them and those who can't." Officials have made the point that the WNBA's economics "don't support charter flights." MLS, which "began play just a year before the WNBA, still has teams operate primarily using commercial flights -- but there is an exception that allows four charter flights per season" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/26). THE ATHLETIC's Hannah Withiam noted the issue resurfaced when Sparks coach Derek Fisher earlier this month "posted a photo on Instagram of his players waiting at the Minneapolis airport." While Fisher’s "celebrity helped the issue gain traction ... this problem is far from new for WNBA players" (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/24).
JUST THE LATEST TRAVEL NIGHTMARE: In Indianapolis, Akeem Glaspie notes the Fever lost to the Lynx last night after arriving back in Indianapolis just 23 hours before tip-off from a game in Seattle. The Fever endured a "winding 22-hour journey that featured extended layovers, a 2,100-mile flight and a 500-mile bus ride" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 6/26). CBSSN's Pat Boylan noted the Fever's flight from Seattle to Atlanta was delayed and “caused them to miss their connection” to Indianapolis. They then had to "board a bus for eight hours from Atlanta to Indianapolis," which even "briefly broke down." Boylan: "You go through a WNBA season, you’re going to face a difficult set of travel circumstances typically at least once a year" ("Lynx-Fever," CBSSN, 6/25).
