Breanna Stewart Advocates for Deal to Subsidize WNBA Players' Charter Travel

One of the WNBA's biggest stars offered her services to help remedy one of the league's more persistent off-court issues.

Breanna Stewart said Sunday she "would love to be part of a deal that helps subsidize charter travel for the entire WNBA."

Some of Stewart's current and former peers endorsed her plan:

The most recent collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and players' union didn't guarantee players chartered travel to and from games. Instead, they were assured of premium economy status, which was an upgrade from the last CBA.

However, that still leaves a lot of players dealing with cramped conditions on the plane, and they ultimately remain at the mercy of the commercial airline industry.

There are numerous examples in the past of teams having to scramble after flights were delayed or canceled entirely.

Scrutiny toward the WNBA intensified last March, when Sports Illustrated's Howard Megdal reported the league fined the New York Liberty $500,000 in part for providing their players with chartered travel.

Days later in an interview with ESPN's M.A. Voepel, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the cost of chartered flights for each team would be more than $20 million. Engelbert added the league was awaiting corporate buy-in:

"We've asked all the major airlines. We've asked charter companies. I've been working on this since the moment I came into the league. But without sponsors stepping up, it's just not in the cards right now. If we could get it sponsored or funded in some way ... I'm all ears. I've gotten lots of calls over the past year about this since we've been back in our 12 markets. Then when people price it out, and they see it's $20 million-plus, you never hear from them again."

Megdal reported the Liberty had proposed an unofficial plan in September 2021 that would open the door for every team to get chartered travel for three years. The idea failed to get the requisite approval from the WNBA Board of Governors.

In a statement to Megdal, the league disputed the report and said the Liberty had agreed to "explore opportunities regarding charter flights and present it to the Board," but that nothing actionable had emerged yet.

Based on Stewart's social media post, the players are more than happy to offer their input and time to find a solution.