The New York Liberty of the WNBA have been fined $500,000 for chartering flights for its players during the second half of last season.
The news comes as a somewhat shocking surprise for those unfamiliar with the WNBA or its operations. Under the league’s collective bargaining agreement, teams are forbidden from chartering private flights for their players during the season, as it may be considered an “unfair advantage” for other teams who cannot afford to do so. Thus, WNBA players are forced to take commercial flights to and from games, which has been a critique of the league for years.
The flights were paid for by Liberty owners Joe and Clara Wu Tsai, who have campaigned in the past for better travel accommodations for WNBA players. After the league found out that the Tsais were secretly chartering flights behind the league’s back, the league opted to fine the team $1 million, as well as docking “every draft pick you have ever seen”, and even threatening to permanently terminate the franchise and remove it from the league. Liberty star player Sabrina Ionescu called the outrage a “joke”.
What a joke😂😂😂 https://t.co/SdedaL1vyN
— Sabrina Ionescu (@sabrina_i20) March 1, 2022
“At no point was there a New York Liberty proposal for the WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three years’ worth of charter flights for WNBA teams,” a WNBA spokesman said. “It was agreed that the Liberty would explore opportunities regarding charter flights and present it to the Board. To date, that has not happened.”
After an appeal, the punishment was reduced to a $500,000 fine, still the largest in WNBA history. This is, of course, chump change for the Tsais, who are worth an estimated $8.7 billion, and also own the Brooklyn Nets. The duo bought the Liberty in 2019 for an estimated $10-$14 million, the most of any team in the league. The team also has the highest payroll in the WNBA, at about $1.3 million, which is the salary cap.
“Fining the teams for standing up for equity, standing up for the players, harkens back to a league that fined the players for standing up for social justice,” the WNBA Players Association tweeted. This rift between the Players Association and the league comes at an interesting time, as another sports league, the MLB, is also currently undergoing severe tension between the two parties, which has already led to the 2022 season being delayed.
What do you think of this situation? Do you think the Liberty and other WNBA teams should have chartered flights for their players? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
