WNBA players, coaches call for charter flights after Brittney Griner harassed at airport

INDIANAPOLIS — WNBA players and coaches are calling for charter flights after Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury were harassed Saturday in the Dallas airport on their way to Indianapolis.

A social media personality went up to Griner, who was detained in Russia for nine months in 2022, and her teammates while they were walking through the Dallas airport. The provocateur asked her questions about her detainment and the trade the United States made for her release.

Brianna Turner, a Mercury player, former Notre Dame star and vice president of the WNBPA, said on Twitter the team huddled in a corner in the airport to protect each other.

More: Griner faced 'excessive harassment' at Dallas airport

“I would say yesterday was a huge disappointment,” Turner said pregame Sunday. “I mean, I don’t blame the league, obviously no one could’ve predicted this. But at the same time, I think more measures could have been in place, absolutely.”

Griner’s harassment in Dallas has revitalized a call for charter flights across the league. The Mercury’s trip to Indianapolis was the first time they were going on a multi-game trip — the team traveled from Phoenix to Dallas to Indianapolis.

The WNBA’s current policy only allows charter flights for games played on back-to-back nights, the Commissioner’s Cup game, and the playoffs. Because some team owners cannot afford to charter a flight to every away game, the league office said any charters other than those situations would be a competitive advantage.

But after the Mercury’s incident, WNBA players and coaches are saying chartered flights are more about safety and comfort than a competitive advantage.

“I’m not gonna lie, that made me angry,” said Indiana guard Emma Cannon, who considers Griner one of her best friends. “I’ve seen the little snippet of the video, and that’s upsetting. … We as a league deserve to be treated as our standard has been. WNBA players, the top 144 players, we should be charter.”

Cannon, who played for Phoenix in 2017 and '22, has known Griner for a long time. Griner is the godmother to Cannon's son, she said.

Cannon said she hasn’t had any issues with harassment in the airport. Indiana head coach Christie Sides said the Fever have a partnership with the Indianapolis airport, and security meets them at the front door to escort them through the ticketing process and to the gate.

While No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston brings a lot of excitement with fans in the airport, she said, the Fever have not yet had any issues while traveling.

“That was really unfortunate, what happened, I really hate it,” Sides said of the Mercury’s incident in Dallas. “That’s a CBA thing, you know, where the league, when they change their mind and we’re able to get those charter flights, it’ll be awesome. Hopefully, that’s sooner than later, but that’s all in the league.”

Overall, Turner said there has been an outpouring of support from players across the league.

Breanna Stewart, a player for the New York Liberty, said player safety should've been first and foremost with Griner's return to the U.S., and there needs to be extra precautionary measures.

"Players are really supportive of us and making sure that BG is safe," Turner said. "Obviously, we want the best for all players traveling. ... I don't want any other team to go through what we went through, and hopefully we don't go through that again."

On Saturday, the league asserted that Griner had been approved for charter flights for the entire season. Griner’s agent, however, disputed that claim, saying the WNBA planned a mix of charter and commercial flights for the Mercury player.

Opinion: Don't blame the buffoon who harassed Brittney Griner. Blame the leadership of the WNBA.

Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard said she could not say whether Griner was approved for charter flights for the entire season. Nygaard did say that as a team, the Mercury were following the travel guidelines sent to them by the WNBA.

In terms of future travel and security measures, Nygaard said team owner Mat Ishbia will support the Mercury in any way.

“We’re going to be making adjustments that maybe should’ve happened before, but right now we’re going to prioritize the security of our players,” Nygaard said. “Our organization has supported us. Mat Ishbia is here at the game today (in Indianapolis) supporting us and continues to support us in our organization to make sure that the players are feeling safe and supported and they get to stay together.”

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA players call for charter flights after Brittney Griner harassed