New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai says he’s working to end the WNBA’s travel issues.
WNBA teams have long dealt with travel complications, but the situation has received more attention during the WNBA playoffs.
Chicago Sky coach James Wade revealed that his team was catching a 3:30 a.m. flight after their loss to the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of the semifinals, less than six hours after the game ended Thursday night. Sun coach Curt Miller said his team was facing a similar issue, traveling to Chicago for Game 3 on Sunday via three different flights and two different airports.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement, reached in 2020, mandates that teams fly commercial in order to level the playing field for teams that may not be able to afford to charter a plane. The current CBA added the condition that players travel in premium economy.
Tsai says he’s ready to find “a constructive solution” to the WNBA’s travel problems, tweeting Friday that he is talking with airline CEOs to find a charter sponsor. Tsai said earlier in the season that he’d “solve this transportation problem for good” after the Liberty dealt with multiple delays during a road trip in July.
League says you can’t fly charter because different owners have different financial circumstances. I’m working with Commissioner Englebert to find a charter sponsor. Conversations with airline CEOs going well. They get the idea of equity for women athletes.
— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) October 2, 2021