WNBA Set to Add Charter Flights for All Games, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert Says

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Tuesday the league is nearing a solution that will allow for chartered travel for all regular-season games.

Engelbert told reporters the plans should be detailed "as soon as we can get the planes in place."

USA Today's Christine Brennan reported "the explosion of interest in the league, business growth and anticipated future revenue from the next media deal" was opening the door for chartered flights. That seemingly elicited a response from New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart:

Travel accommodations have been a point of concernn for multiple years.

The most recent collective bargaining agreement was a step forward as it allowed for premium economy status on flights. Players were still left at the mercy of commercial travel and all of the hassles that encompasses, though.

On occasion, relying on commercial travel has also proven troublesome because teams were left scrambling for alternatives thanks to delayed or canceled flights. The Las Vegas Aces once forfeited a game in 2018 because their players declined to step onto the court for a game following a lengthy travel ordeal.

Ahead of the 2023 season, the WNBA announced it would have chartered travel for all of its postseason games as well as some select regular-season contexts. Engelbert had said before that that a plan to have private flights for the entire regular season, however, was cost-prohibitive, citing a price tag of $25 million.

"And the thing some people are missing is that this isn't a one-year funding," she said to ESPN's Michael Voepel. "This is something you've got to fund — I want to say in perpetuity — but let's say you have to make sure you have a business model to fund it for at least a decade.

"So even if you brought a sponsor in to fund it one year ... sponsors can come and go. So you've got to make sure you have an economic model that is feasible to fund it long-term."

This comes as the WNBA stands to collect a sizable windfall from its next media rights deal. Engelbert told CNBC in April she's aiming to double the league's current annual payout of $60 million.

Getting in excess of $120 million or more each year would allow for the WNBA to make significant improvements to its infrastructure.