NFLPA issues statement in support of WNBPA members’ fight for improved WNBA travel
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The NFLPA issued a statement of public support Wednesday for WNBA players and their union’s fight for improved travel standards. This comes as the discussion surrounding the WNBA’s travel issues was pushed to the forefront again Saturday, when it was announced that Brittney Griner would not be traveling for the Phoenix Mercury’s two-game road trip.
The NFLPA utilized its medical director, Dr. Thom Mayer, to communicate the potential impact of in-season trips on an athlete’s oxygen levels, immune system, healing and performance.
“Travel, especially airplane travel, can have significant effects on a person’s health,” Mayer wrote. “There is a very important reason why NFL players travel the way they do: we insist on the highest standards of health and safety, and we are looking to do even more in this area. We support the WNBPA in their push for improved travel standards, which are vital to their health and performance.”
Griner was harassed over her experience in a Russian prison while walking through a public terminal at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport in June. Following that experience, the WNBA said Griner had approval to travel via charter jet, while other reports indicated she had the OK to fly privately only twice in a “hybrid plan” that would’ve required her to get approval for additional flights.
After the incident, the WNBPA issued a statement urging the league to implement chartered flights for all games.
The NFLPA amplified the WNBPA’s message in Wednesday’s statement.
“The questions they raise are straightforward and fair: How can they enhance their working conditions? What resources should be allocated to support their well-being?” the NFLPA said. “Any responsible business would address these matters directly, especially when it comes to the most important and valuable group within the business: the working athletes.”
Players want improved travel for the entire league
Griner missed Sunday’s against the Chicago Sky and Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Fever in order, according to the team, “to focus on her mental health.” During pregame media availability Tuesday, Chicago Sky center and WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams made a statement about the league’s travel issue. She said she planned to speak out before the news of Griner’s absence.
“The current rules are bad for the W brand and, more importantly, a real threat to our health and safety in the short and long term,” Williams said in a five-minute address.
“We know there is a small group of owners and teams who remain against allowing their teams to fly charter,” Williams added. “We cannot allow this league to be held back by those owners who are unwilling and/or financially unable to grow the business.”
Players have requested permission to take charter flights for years, something the league prohibited because it said it would be too expensive. Some teams have incurred punishments for financing private travel on their own, as the league deemed it an unfair advantage.
This season, the league’s charter flights program was expanded to include playoffs and back-to-back games. Teams are also reportedly allowed to use a “hop-on” charter company called JSX that allows customers to book seats on smaller planes with many of the benefits of a charter. The company’s catalog of flights is limited, though, and doesn’t come close to meeting the needs of a team that flies across the country during the course of the season.
In the effort to further amend the league’s travel rules, players could opt out of the CBA after the 2025 season. While there’s no guarantee they will, Williams told the Chicago Sun-Times that there have been conversations about the idea.
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