Women’s college basketball has experienced a significant surge in popularity over the last two years, which has also helped the WNBA. With Caitlin Clark’s rookie season officially here, the attention the W will receive has already shown a significant jump. The league recognizes how important it is to market and promote all 12 teams. They also showed us that the commute needs to change.
The WNBA recently announced that all 12 teams will be flying on charter flights for this season. This flight plan is expected to cost a little over $25 million, which is a significant investment and indicates the growth that this game has seen. Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner, spoke with a group of sports editors on Tuesday and shared this information. She believes that this is an immediate change that will be seen once the season begins.
The WNBA league did not permit teams to use charter flights, except in cases of back-to-back games. This meant that players had to make do with cramped commercial flights, squeezing past fellow travelers to fit into their assigned seats. Additionally, WNBA players had to handle their own luggage and endure travel days that could last up to 13 hours, including delays.
However, with the introduction of charter flights, WNBA players will now be able to travel through private air terminals directly to buses or their own vehicles when returning home. This will eliminate the need for layovers and will enable players to recover more efficiently between games, which is especially important given this season’s schedule around the Olympics.
Rookie Caitlin Clark was asked after practice her thoughts on the monumental stride for the league.
“I’m just super excited and I’m happy for the players that have been in this league a really long time,” Clark told the media. “I’m just excited and thankful for whatever point that is when it happens. It’ll be great for us, it’ll make recovery easier, it’ll make travel a lot easier. It makes life a lot easier for a lot of people and it’s something that people have deserved for years. So thankful to have that opportunity my first year here.”
The Clark effect is partially the reason this happens; however, the impact of the first-round picks this season and their encouraging early showings have shown that the W’s future is in good hands. Check out the sharp shooter’s comments below.
"I'm happy for the players that have been in this league a really long time and have really deserved this for years and years and years."
Caitlin Clark on charter flights coming to the WNBA this season 🙌
(via @ScottAgness) pic.twitter.com/ERIjdmeWUH
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 8, 2024
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