The WNBA is collaborating with Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury on travel options, which may include charter flights in the future. Recently, Griner’s travel arrangements were highlighted when the team flew to Texas and Indiana, necessitating commercial airport journeys for Griner and her Mercury teammates. During a stay at a Dallas airport, an alleged provocateur targeted the All-Star centre, who had served nearly ten months in Russia after a legal case before being passed in a prisoner trade.
Teams are not allowed to use charter flights, except when they have back-to-back games, under WNBA rules. Many teams have been using JSX, a public charter airline. WNBA allows those flights with certain safeguards in place, including teams flying on 30-seat planes with set routes and times. The Mercury initially took JSX flights to their first road game in Los Angeles, then flew to Dallas. As there wasn’t a regular flight on the JSX airline from Dallas to Indianapolis, Griner was on a commercial flight.
It is unclear who will pay if the WNBA allows Griner to fly privately. It’s also unclear whether Phoenix will use JSX to fly to any of the other 11 cities where teams play by building their flights, how other teams will view it,since it provides the Mercury with a possible competitive advantage.
Griner’s security has been an ongoing concern for the league since before the season began. League officials have been in talks with Mercury officials and the seven-time all-star’s representatives about how to protect Griner and her teammates following the well-publicized legal case. The WNBA gave Griner permission to book her charter flights before the season.
We’re just working with Phoenix to ensure we have a good plan going forward, said Cathy Engelbert, WNBA Commissioner, on ESPN on Friday, certainly for Brittney and for the rest of the Phoenix Mercury.
Thursday, the executive director of the WNBA players union spoke to Griner and reported that she was irritated. She said, ‘We knew this was going to happen,’ Terri Jackson added. ‘Terri, I read the mail that comes to my locker. It’s fan mail, but it’s also a lot of hate mail.’
The Mercury is currently on a two-game journey to Washington and New York, and Griner did not play in Friday’s loss to the Mystics due to a hip injury.
