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New York Liberty are among the original teams left in the WNBA, and the franchise reportedly came under the microscope last season because it treats its players with the simplest things.
Liberty team owners Joe and Clara Tsai have chartered charter flights for players in the 2021 season, Sports Illustrated reported on Tuesday. Charter flights are against the collective bargaining of the league to maintain a competitive balance between franchises.
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Sabrina Ionescu (20) from New York Liberty celebrates with teammates after the match against the Washington Mystics on September 17, 2021 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(Stephen Freeman / NBAE via Getty Images)
New York paid for charter flights for five games in the second half of the season, as well as for travel to the Napa Valley, California, according to SI.
Liberty also reportedly proposed that charter flights be the standard for all teams and offset costs for three years, but the plan did not receive enough support from other WNBA owners.
The WNBA denied making a solid offer.
“At no time has there been a proposal from the New York Liberty WNBA Board of Directors to consider offering three-year charter flights to WNBA teams,” the league told the magazine. “It was agreed that Liberty would explore the possibility of charter flights and present it on board. To date, this has not happened.
Brooklyn Nets and New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai attended the New York Liberty and Phoenix Mercury game on August 25, 2021 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
(Stephen Freeman / NBAE via Getty Images)
The charter flight problem reportedly angered the WNBA. The league has threatened to fine Liberty $ 1 million, take away all his drafts and even consider ending the franchise, Sports Illustrated reported.
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However, it was decided that Liberty paid only $ 500,000 in fines.
Joe Tsai promised to solve the travel problem that plagued the league in July and October.
WNBA travel issues have been a hot topic as the league’s popularity has grown.
Former Indiana Fever striker Natalie Achonva talks about her team’s travel problems in 2019.
Washington Mystics star Natasha Cloud told NBC Sports Washington in 2019 that the travel situation is “garbage.”
“Where do you see this in the NBA?” I know they play a lot of matches, but we do the same thing in a short period of time for three and a half, four months. So that will make the biggest difference for us, “she said.
In this photo from a September 24, 2019 file, Natasha Cloud of Washington Mystics rides on the court against Las Vegas Aces during the second half of Game 4 of the WNBA Basketball Playoffs in Las Vegas.
(AP Photo / John Locher, File)
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun players also suffered travel problems during last year’s WNBA playoffs.
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The Sun were forced to split into different planes just to travel, while Sky players had to get up at 3:30 a.m. just to catch their flight in the morning after a loss.