Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is one of the WNBAs most genuine supporters and he's ready to make their lives easier.
Speaking to reporters following the Nets' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Irving touched on the W's current inability to offer chartered flights to its players, saying “we gotta get something done…”
“We gotta get something done, and I’m with them no matter how much it costs per se. I think we could all collectively come together and make something very doable happen.”
– @KyrieIrving on WNBA chartered flight issues pic.twitter.com/GBGpRT7M13
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) January 26, 2023
“I'm with them no matter how much it costs per se, I think we could all collectively come together and make something very doable happen.”
An issue that's been well-documented, the topic received new life when Seattle Storm star Breanna Stewart went to social media to propose a solution for the $20 million problem.
I would love to be part of a deal that helps subsidize charter travel for the entire WNBA.
I would contribute my NIL, posts + production hrs to ensure we all travel in a way that prioritizes player health + safety, which ultimately results in a better product.
Who’s with me?
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) January 22, 2023
Stewart's call to action, in which she pledges to contribute her NIL earnings (and more) to be part of a deal that helps subsidize charter travel for the entire WNBA, was met with plenty of support. Notable former and current WNBA players such as Sue Bird, Chicago Sky star Kahleah Copper, and Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne chimed in, demonstrating their desire to solve the matter.
Now it appears that Irving, who will have made $231.7 million in his NBA career by the end of the 2022-23 season, is on board too.
The financial constraints of the WNBA are no secret, as the maximum salary in the WNBA is just a little over $228K, compared to a $270 million supermax salary that's available for NBA players.
If the WNBA were to allow teams to book chartered flights, it would require a change to their current collective bargaining agreement. However, there's no doubt that WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert would support such a change.
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