Brittney Griner on Phoenix Mercury, WNBA travel situation: 'Playing with people's lives'
Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner sounded off on the WNBA's travel situation Monday during a call with the media.
The WNBA star, speaking with media on a call about the hiring of interim coach Nikki Blue, didn't mince words about the league's travel situation before changes were recently made, saying that the WNBA was "playing with people's lives."
"'I'll say this. I think we should have already had the option to use a different airline, a more private airline, charter flights," Griner said during the call, according to ESPN. "It's a shame that it had to get to rock bottom, because I feel like waiting for something to happen and then making a change ... you don't know what that 'something's' going to be. We've all seen what can happen in this world. And when you play the 'let's-wait-and-see game,' you're really playing with fire. You're playing with people's lives.
"So I'm glad that they finally got it together — and, you know, are going to allow us to do this. It's just a shame that it took so damn long, honestly."
More: Brittney Griner's harassment at Dallas airport detailed in police report
Griner and the Mercury encountered a YouTube personality at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport on June 10 while the Mercury were set for a commercial flight to Indiana.
The WNBA said the YouTuber singled out Griner and the incident "was orchestrated by a social media figure and provocateur."
A story by ESPN's M.A. Voepel questioned the WNBA's handling of Griner and the Mercury's travel.
The story said: "The league released a statement saying Griner had been approved to fly charter flights for her safety. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert reiterated that on ESPN's 'Outside the Lines,' saying the Mercury had been told they could do 'anything you want to do' in terms of Griner's travel because 'we recognize this unique situation.' However, a source told ESPN the league did not make that type of broad-stroked recommendation but instead approved a "hybrid plan" in early April. That plan allegedly included Griner flying two preapproved charter flights, with the league having the option to approve more charters based on need with the condition that only Griner — not the entire team — could fly on those planes."
More: Could changes be coming after Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury harassed in Dallas airport?
Griner didn't share specifics about the team's new travel situation during her comments, but she did speak her mind about the previous one.
And it is evident she was not happy with the league about it.
More: Mercury wing Sophie Cunningham says Brittney Griner’s harassment at airport was ‘embarrassing’ for WNBA
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Brittney Griner sounds off on Phoenix Mercury, WNBA travel situation
