WNBA 'to accomodate' charter flights this season' after backlash to Caitlin Clark traveling commercial

The WNBA has engaged in talks to allow charter flights for all of its teams this season after facing backlash to a sighting of Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates traveling commercial. 

Clark touched down in Dallas, Texas, along with her new teammates on Friday ahead of her pro basketball debut against the Wings, which resulted in a 79-76 loss, but the team's travel arrangements were at the center of discussion on social media as the first overall pick was casually breezing through Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

However, it appears that now, WNBA players will get the same flight arrangements as their NBA counterparts, as revealed by league commissioner Cathy Engelbert at a meeting with sports editors on Tuesday.

'We intend to fund a full-time charter for this season,' she said, adding that the WNBA will launch the program 'as soon as we can get planes in places.'

The WNBA is predicted to spend $25M on charter flights this season days after Caitlin Clark and her Fever teammates were spotted landing off a commercial flight in Dallas

Clark and her teammates flew into Texas for a pre-season game against the Wings on Friday

Clark with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Fever

Engelbert said the program will cost the league around $25million per year for the next two seasons.

The WNBA already had announced at its draft last month plans to once again pay for charter flights for the entire playoffs as well as for back-to-back games during the upcoming season that require air travel.

The league's schedule features more back-to-back sets this season with the WNBA taking a long break for the Olympics in late July and early August. 

The league spent $4M on charters in 2023.

Engelbert said before the WNBA draft that the league needs to be in the right financial position to charter planes.

The WNBA is attracting more attention than ever thanks to rookies like Caitlin Clark, who helped the NCAA reach its best viewership in history for women's basketball, with nearly 19 million fans watching the title game, along with Angel Reese who went to the Met Gala on Monday night and Cameron Brink.