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The WNBA will allow teams to take public charter service in the wake of verbal slander Brittney Griner faced while flying commercial. Griner was heckled at Dallas airport by right-wing activist Alex Stein.

The Mercury Center was detained by the Russian authorities in February 2022 and released in December 2022 after the US government agreed to a prisoner swap. They sent back arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of that agreement.

Players’ safety was brought into question after the infamous incident involving Alex Stein and Brittney Griner

According to Sportskeeda, flying by public charter flights was something several franchises and players pushed for previously, but the WNBA didn’t allow that citing cost control purposes.

They also fined $500,000 the New York Liberty in 2021 for illicitly flying charters to a few away games. However, the league has changed its stance on this and allowed teams flying on public charter service by JSX with protocols in place.

The league had already allowed teams to use public charters for back-to-back games and the postseason. Some franchises will now be able to use the service in the regular season too. Not all teams have the service available in their city, so they won’t be able to utilize these benefits.

While it seems to be a step in the right direction, JSX public charter service does not offer the same experience as a private charter service, according to a league source.

So what will be different moving forward?

Now WNBA teams have the option to buy out an entire 30-seat capacity jet and the option of a private terminal as opposed to a commercial flight.

JSX’s website states it’s a “hop-on jet service that’s faster on the ground and more comfortable in the air.” The tickets for a commercial flight and a public charter flight are the same.

However, a league source told ESPN that teams won’t be able to schedule the flights at their convenience. JSX has pre-set routes and times. JSX offers the option to schedule flights, but due to the added expenses of that service, the league prohibits teams from doing that.

Hailing from Charlotte North Carolina, born litterateur Ezekiel J. Walker earned a B.A. in Psychology at Winston Salem State University. Walker later published his first creative nonfiction book and has...