August 31st 2023.
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) recently sent out a memo to teams informing them that chartered flights will not be used for all postseason travel. This decision has come as a surprise to many players, who have been advocating for the use of chartered flights for years.
The memo, obtained by NextHoops.com, stated that teams will only be allowed one chartered flight between cities if they win a road series and their next series is set to begin on the road. This means that teams will have to choose between taking a commercial flight and one chartered flight between home and the next series, or flying directly from one road series to another without stopping at home in between.
The Associated Press reported that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in April that during the playoffs, flights would be chartered, and she repeated the claim at several points during this season. Unfortunately, the cost for all of the private flights for the year was estimated to be around $4.5 million, and some franchise owners cannot afford them, creating an unfair advantage for teams that are able to pay for chartered flights.
The league has occasionally stepped in to pay for chartered flights across multiple time zones, including for the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury in between Games 2 and 3 of the 2021 Finals. The WNBA playoffs are set to start September 13th, with many expecting a WNBA Finals matchup between The New York Liberty, who are currently 26-7, and the Las Vegas Aces, who are trying to become the league's third team to repeat as champions.
Ultimately, the lack of chartered flights for the WNBA playoffs will create an uneven playing field for teams, and it is a decision that has been met with disappointment from many players. With the playoffs only weeks away, the WNBA will need to find a way to ensure all teams have equal access to resources if they want to ensure all teams have a fair chance at winning the championship.
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