Phoenix Mercury

The WNBA has made some alterations to its air travel policy for teams this season.

The league is allowing teams to use a public chartering service called JSX for select flights, according to ESPN's Alexa Philippou. This comes amid increased pressure for the league to move away from commercial flights due to safety concerns.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia in February 2022 before being exchanged in a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States in December, was subject to harassment at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport earlier this month while flying commercially.

WNBA teams typically fly commercial, though the league is expanding the use of chartered flights this season for back-to-back games and postseason games, according to Philippou.

One of the main reasons why teams fly commercially is because of the cost as chartering flights can get quite expensive.

However, Philippou writes that JSX charter flights "are fairly comparable to what commercial flights cost." Additionally, JSX planes can hold up to 30 guests and it gives teams the opportunity to buy out an entire flight.

There are still some drawbacks to the JSX service with the main issue being that it is not available in every WNBA city. The service could create flights outside of its public schedule for a higher charge, but doing so is prohibited by the WNBA.

Many WNBA players have advocated for chartered flights, which are standard for the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL, in recent years. The New York Liberty were even fined $500,000 in 2021 for repeated use of charter flights, which was a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

While the league appears to have made some progress in terms of chartered air travel, it's likely still not enough to make a huge difference given its limitations.

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner was confronted by a YouTube personality in Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday morning, and details of the incident were released in a police report on Monday.

According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Alex Stein "tried to push his way through" Mercury security personnel to get to Griner before the team boarded a flight to Indiana following back-to-back games against the Dallas Wings. Stein is a Dallas native and Blaze Media personality who "has gained some notoriety for confronting politicians," per ESPN's M.A. Voepel.

The report stated that the Mercury security representative stayed in between Stein and Griner while he tried to get to her. The guard pushed Stein against a wall of the concourse while Griner waited behind an area near the gate until officers arrived.

The security representative told officers that Stein "seemed aggressive and made some inappropriate comments" toward Griner. The guard said even though Stein got physical with him, he does not want to press charges.

The report noted that airport officers were unable to locate Stein in the area, and American Airlines didn't find a passenger with his name scheduled for a flight at that airport. It was confirmed by the airport master control room that Stein "walked to the lower gates, connected with a female passenger and entered the Skylink Train heading to Terminals B & D."

Mercury players were escorted to the American Airlines Customer Experience office as they waited to board their flight, and the team was later escorted by officers to the gate and boarded without any further issues.

Griner was detained in Russian custody in February 2022 after Russian custom officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. She was sentenced to a nine-year prison term in August, and she was freed in December following a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russian governments.

The WNBA approved Griner to fly charter for games, but the Mercury have not said why she wasn't doing so on Saturday.

Following the incident with Stein, Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard said on Sunday that the organization "will be making adjustments that maybe should have happened before," regarding the safety of the team during WNBA travel. She didn't further specify what that meant, only adding, "Right now, we're going to prioritize the safety of our players."

The Phoenix Mercury plan to change how the team travels to road games after Brittney Griner was harassed at Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport Saturday.

"We will ensure that our players and our organization and our staff are safe," coach Vanessa Nygaard said before the Mercury's Sunday road game against the Indiana Fever, per Michael Marot of the Associated Press. "We will be making adjustments that maybe should have happened before but right now we're going to prioritize the safety of our players and we've seen that the organization has supported us."

Around 9:30 am CT, Griner was confronted by a man later revealed to be YouTube personality Alex Stein, who yelled at her about "the Merchant of Death." Law enforcement became involved, and the man was tackled, CNN reported.

Stein, described as a "provocateur" by the WNBA, is known for his inflammatory heckling of politicians on camera. He later posted clips of himself yelling at Griner, including about how she "hates America," as she walked through the airport.

Griner, who was imprisoned in a Russian penal colony for almost 300 days after customs officials said they found cannabis oil in her luggage, returned to the United States in December as part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed "the Merchant of Death."

In a statement about the incident, the WNBA said Griner had already been assigned security personnel to travel with her. In the videos shared by Stein, a man is repeatedly telling him to stop and attempting to distance him from the WNBA players, NPR's Emma Bowman reported.

"Prior to the season, the WNBA worked together with the Phoenix Mercury and BG's team to ensure her safety during her travel, which included charter flights for WNBA games and assigned security personnel with her at all times," the WNBA said. "We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players."

Griner's Mercury teammate Brianna Turner described herself and her teammates as "huddled in a corner unsure how to move about" during the incident.

"We demand better," Turner wrote on Twitter.

Since the WNBA was launched in 1997, teams have flown commercially, according to the AP. The league added limited charter flights following Griner's return to the United States this spring. It remains to be seen if the incident at Dallas-Forth Worth will change this policy further, but the Mercury said the team would "be coordinating with the WNBA on the next steps."

Brittney Griner's Phoenix Mercury might not have come home victorious in their 2023 home opener, but she came away feeling like a winner.

Griner described her "emotional" return to the Phoenix floor after spending 10 months detained in a Russian prison on drug charges.

"Oh my god. It was emotional in the back, just hearing, seeing some of the clips and then coming out. ... But, no, it was really good. It was really good. Part of the process of healing is just kind of letting it out. So, yeah, nah, I got choked up a little bit," she told reporters after the Mercury's 75-69 loss to the Chicago Sky.

Griner finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, dominating on the inside despite welling up with emotion during the pregame ceremony. Her parents were also in attendance, watching her play together for the first time since high school.

"That was amazing," she said. "I don't think I've played in front of everybody in one place, honestly, since high school, honestly. So, just having everybody here right now and, like I said before, didn't know when that was going to happen, if it would happen, depending on how long it was, it could have been a lot different."

Griner had not played at Phoenix's home arena since the 2021 season after she was forced to miss the entire 2022 WNBA campaign while detained in Russia. She was released as part of a prisoner swap in December.

The 32-year-old is one of the greatest WNBA centers in history, making eight All-Star appearances and earning six All-WNBA selections over the course of her career.

WNBA teams are still fighting for the opportunity to have chartered flights all season long, and another supporter advocated for that initiative on Sunday.

Phoenix Mercury governor Mat Ishbia told ESPN's Josh Weinfuss that he believes WNBA teams deserve chartered flights more than just for playoff games and back-to-back nights, saying he wants the league to move "in that direction."

"I feel like you invest in the players, you invest in the team, you do all the right [things] and money follows," Ishbia said prior to the Mercury's home opener against the Chicago Sky on Sunday. "Too many people think about the other way around, and, so, that's my belief system.

"The WNBA is doing some good things and the commissioner's doing good things to move it in that direction. And I respect what they're doing and I'm definitely a supporter of getting there faster and sooner."

New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart strongly advocated for charter flights for all WNBA teams this past offseason. The Liberty were fined $500,000 last season for chartering flights to away games during the second half of the 2021 campaign.

Weinfuss noted that the Associated Press reported that charter flights for the postseason and back-to-back regular-season games would cost "around $4.5 million," while charter flights for every team over the course of the whole season would cost "about $25 million."

WNBA teams are prohibited from unauthorized use of charter flights because it could provide a competitive advantage and it also violates the league's collective bargaining agreement with the players' union. However, Ishbia said he's willing to go the extra mile for his team and he believes it should be the same across the league.

"We're going to make sure we do everything within our power, within the rules to make it of our women, our players have the best chance to [play at their] peak performance, whether it's medically, whether it's rest wise, whether it's in the hotels, every, I'm pushing all of the envelopes to make sure that our team has all the best of everything," he said.

For the first time in 578 days, Brittney Griner suited up in a WNBA regular season game as the Phoenix Mercury opened the 2023 campaign on Friday night against the Los Angeles Sparks at Crypto.com Arena.

"Today is a day of joy," Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard told reporters Friday. "An amazing, amazing thing has happened."

Griner hadn't appeared in a WNBA game since Game 4 of the 2021 Finals after being detained in Russia in February 2022. She spent 10 months in a Russian prison before being freed in a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia.

Griner's highly-anticipated return to the court was celebrated by her coaches, teammates, fans and even Vice President Kamala Harris, who attended Friday's season-opener and gave a speech in the Mercury locker room before the game.

Griner, a seven-time All-Star and 2014 WNBA champion, opened the first half of Friday's game with an impressive 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and three blocks.

The 32-year-old is expected to play a significant role for the Mercury this season alongside Diana Taurasi as Phoenix looks to rebound from a disappointing 15-21 finish to the 2022 campaign.

It might take some time for Griner to return to full form, but there's little doubt she can help the team after averaging 20.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks during the 2021 season.

Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner made her unofficial return to the basketball court on Friday during an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Sparks after missing all of last year while being detained in Russia on drug charges.

Afterward, she told reporters how grateful she was to be there.

"I didn't think I would be sitting right here," Griner said, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss. "I didn't think I would be playing basketball this quickly. Even coming back, I didn't know how it was going to go getting back into it. I mean, I'm grateful to be here for sure. I'm not going to take today for granted, but it was a lot to take in."

The United States considered Griner to be wrongfully detained by Russian authorities. She was detained for 294 days after being arrested in an airport outside Moscow on drug charges in March 2022. She was in the country to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, which she had represented during WNBA offseasons from 2014 to 2022.

She pled guilty in July and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison in August. Her appeal was denied, and she was transferred to a Russian penal colony in November.

The United States federal government negotiated her return home in December after agreeing to a prisoner exchange with Russia for convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

The eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist is now home and starting her 10th season with the Mercury. She had 10 points and three rebounds in 17 minutes against the Sparks to close Phoenix's two-game preseason.

It was her first action with Phoenix since the 2021 season, when Griner led the Mercury to the WNBA Finals. Phoenix fell to the Chicago Sky in the championship.

The Mercury will see the Sparks once again to kick off the regular season on Friday at 11 p.m. ET. ESPN will carry the game.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner gave her first press conference Thursday since her detainment in Russia ended in December.

"I'm no stranger to hard times," she said when asked about her internal resilience to not only make it through her 294-day detention but also get to a place where she feels good about playing basketball again.

Griner's detainment was closely followed by her peers and sports fans alike who pressed the Biden administration to bring her home. The seven-time All-Star said she knew of those efforts, and they "made me have hope."

She also thanked her wife, Cherelle, and shared a funny story about their reunion:

It didn't take long for Griner to make it clear she wanted to resume playing in the WNBA after missing the entire 2022 season.

"I always believe in my ability," the 6'9" center told reporters. "... Being realistic, am I exactly where I want to be? No. But I'm on the right track to getting there."

Griner also joked about getting to play alongside longtime teammate Diana Taurasi, who turns 41 in June:

Griner's arrest at an airport outside of Moscow brought attention to the WNBA's pay structure. Although the league's current collective bargaining agreement raised salaries, many players still head overseas during the offseason, because they can earn significantly more there.

Prior to traveling to Russia, Griner lamented how she wasn't looking forward to the prospect. She confirmed Thursday she won't be playing year-round anymore and will only go overseas if she is part of the U.S. national team.

As expected, the Mercury officially announced in February they had re-signed Griner. Phoenix will open the regular season May 19 on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Phoenix Mercury star Diana Taurasi provided a positive update Tuesday regarding Brittney Griner's preparations for the 2023 WNBA season.

According to ESPN's Josh Weinfuss, Taurasi suggested that Griner's game is starting to come together after Griner missed the entire 2022 season because of her arrest and imprisonment in Russia: "I think she's gotten better. Yeah, I think she's progressed. I mean, when you don't do anything for 10 months, yeah, it's a long strain on your body—mentally, physically. But every week you just see her getting a little bit better."

WNBA training camps open next week, and Taurasi noted that she has seen some things from Griner that make her believe she is trending in the right direction at a pivotal time:

"You see her do things [and you're like] 'Oh, oh, OK. Spin move baseline. I remember that.' Or getting a block. So, there are all these little moments that she keeps stacking up and it's going to be a big training camp for her to get back where she wants to go. But, we're all here helping and hopefully we could all do it together."

While in Russia in February 2022, Griner was detained at an airport and charged with drug smuggling for being in possession of vape cartridges that contained hashish oil.

Griner was ultimately sentenced to nine years in prison, but as part of a prisoner swap, she was returned to the United States in December, about 10 months after her initial arrest.

Before her arrest, the 6'9" Griner was among the most dominant forces in WNBA history, having earned eight All-Star selections, two scoring titles, two WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards and one WNBA championship.

For her career, the 32-year-old Griner boasts per-game averages of 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 1.8 assists while shooting 56.0 percent from the field.

After Griner helped lead the Mercury to the WNBA Finals in 2021, the team took a huge step back without her last season, going 15-21.

Griner is undoubtedly integral to the team's success, and while she may need to knock some rust off, her return instantly makes Phoenix a contender again.

Her first chance to get acclimated to game action again will come on May 9 in the Mercury's preseason opener against the Seattle Storm. Phoenix's first regular-season game of the 2023 season is scheduled for May 19 against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner is writing a memoir about being wrongfully detained in Russia.

Griner recounted in Tuesday's announcement how she had traveled to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, the overseas team she has represented for years. Her journey this time began "an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share."

"The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud," she wrote. "After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I'm so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world."

Griner added she also wants to raise awareness for other Americans who are wrongfully detained around the globe.

The New York Times' Michael Crowley and Jonathan Abrams first reported last March the seven-time All-Star had been arrested on drug charges at an airport outside Moscow. By May, the U.S. government classified her as wrongfully detained, which allowed officials more latitude in negotiating her release.

Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court in July and was sentenced to nine years in prison in August. After unsuccessfully appealing her sentence, she was transferred to a Russian penal colony in November.

On Dec. 8, President Joe Biden announced Griner would be returning to the United States after his administration agreed to a prisoner exchange involving convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

She was back on American soil the following day, ending her detention after 294 days.

According to the Associated Press' Hillel Italie, Griner's memoir will be published by Alfred A. Knopf and is expected to hit shelves in spring 2024.

In the meantime, the 32-year-old is working toward her return to the WNBA. She wasted little time upon touching down in the United States before confirming she wanted to keep playing, and she officially re-signed with the Mercury in February.