WNBA Liberty fined $500,000 for chartering flights
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 23: Shey Peddy #5 of the Phoenix Mercury controls the ball past Natasha Howard #6 of the New York Liberty during the second half of the first round WNBA playoffs at Grand Canyon University Arena on September 23, 2021 in P
NEW YORK - The New York Liberty were reportedly fined $500,000 by the WNBA for chartering flights to away games and for taking an unsanctioned team trip to Napa, California.
The flights took place in the second half of the 2021 season, violating the collective bargaining agreement between players and the league, Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press reported.
The trips were paid for by team owners Joe and Clara Tsai.
Chartering is not allowed out of fear it can create a competitive advantage for teams who can afford it.
No official announcement of the fine had been made.
The Tais paid for a charter to a trip to Napa Valley over Labor Day weekend. That trip was a benefit that vastly exceeded the allowable compensation to players, reported the AP.
The fine was levied last fall.
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New York was winless on the road after the Olympic break.
The WNBA announced last month the completion of a $75 million capital raise campaign. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the AP at the time that the new money wouldn't be used for adding chartered flights. She has said that she supports the idea of teams chartering when it is financially feasible for every team.
Traveling commercially, which is in the league's collective bargaining agreement, has been an issue in recent years. Players have drawn attention to travel problems that have led to games being canceled and even forfeited. The WNBA has occasionally stepped in to pay for charters over multiple time zones in the postseason.
The Sports Illustrated story also reported that the league's general counsel suggested a plethora of severe punishments for the Liberty, including "losing ‘every draft pick you have ever seen’ to suspending ownership, even ‘grounds for termination of the franchise."
With the Associated Press