Caitlin Clark Charter Flight
Caitlin Clark and this year’s rookie class has already inspired a lot of change across the WNBA. However, the transition in travel is going to take some time and it has created some early division.

Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP is one of the best to ever do it.

She is thrilled about what this next generation of stars has brought to the league in such a short amount of time. Especially when it comes to how teams are going to get to and from their games!

WNBA teams have always flown commercial in the past. They would fly Southwest or Delta alongside the average person who is on their way to visit family or take a vacation. It was the standard.

Not anymore!

A video of Clark and the Indiana Fever shlepping their way through the Dallas airport prior to a preseason game recently went viral and expedited the process. Where the league was working to secure chartered flights for its teams for the future, like the athletes had become accustomed in college, it quickly got a deal done for this season. Keeping its players happy was/is crucial. Stewart could not be more thrilled!

Here’s where she has her gripes.

Clark and Indiana flew to its first regular season game in Connecticut on Wednesday. They flew private. Veteran guard Erica Wheeler shared a video from the flight and vibes were extremely high.

Although it is a great thing that the Fever flew on a chartered flight, the WNBA put an emphasis on Clark. Not every team with an upcoming away game got that same luxury — yet.

The New York Liberty is not flying charter for its first two games of the season, including a game in Indianapolis later this week. Stewart offered her thoughts on the accommodations!

2 out of 5 WNBA teams traveling today are on WNBA charters – and that’s a win. It could be a bigger one if the W allowed teams who were not offered League charters to secure their own until a full 12 team solution is ready.

Trip #1 of the season – Charter Bus 🚍

— @breannastewart on X

It does make sense that Caitlin Clark was the priority for the WNBA right now. The No. 1 overall pick is the biggest star in the league at this current moment. Having her fly commercial is a tough look, especially when you factor in the security concerns.

Even still, it makes for strange optics to have one or two teams fly charter while the others take a bus. Especially when, like Stewart said, the individual teams that are not flying charter might have been able to secure a private flight on their own. They weren’t allowed.

Change is a great thing and change is here. The rollout is poor early on.