WNBA starts chartering; travel plans still unclear for some teams - ESPN

The WNBA has started to implement its regular-season chartering program for the beginning of the 2024 campaign, with the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx flying private for their opening-day games at Connecticut and Seattle, respectively.

But personnel from multiple teams told ESPN they have not received word from the league on when they will be permitted to charter as the WNBA prepares to kick off its 28th season Tuesday. Teams that have started chartering are still waiting to find out if they'll charter for subsequent away games, a source said.

«It's a good problem to have because we got here and we're talking about charter travel,» WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson told ESPN Monday. «Now, in this moment, the league has found its pathway to yes. It just seems that the pathway has a few more bumps than perhaps were needed.»

The league officially announced Thursday that a full charter program would be «phased in beginning with the start of the 2024 regular season,» according to a release. The news first broke Tuesday when commissioner Cathy Engelbert told a group of sports editors the league was on the verge of moving to full-chartering «as soon as we can get planes in places.»

The league's plan will cost $25 million per year for the next two seasons. Previously, WNBA teams only could charter during the postseason and for regular-season games on back-to-back days requiring air travel.

Details on the implementation of that plan began to come out Monday when Indiana guard Erica Wheeler posted a video from a chartered flight as the team headed to Connecticut for its season opener against the Sun. Minnesota also confirmed to ESPN it is chartering west to take on the Storm.

Two-time league MVP Breanna Stewart of the New