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          WNBA charter flights for teams to be fully in place by next week

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          Why full-time charter flights are a win for WNBA players (1:21)

          Alexa Philippou reports on the WNBA's decision to begin full-time charter flights. (1:21)

          • Alexa Philippou, ESPNMay 16, 2024, 03:59 PM ET
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            • Covers women's college basketball and the WNBA
            • Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant
            • Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Enquirer
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          The WNBA's new chartering program will be in full effect by early next week, a league spokesperson confirmed to ESPN.

          "As the league previously announced, we would be phasing in the program at the start of the season and can share that beginning May 21 all teams will be flying charter to games," the spokesperson said in a statement.

          Trips between Chicago and Indiana, and Connecticut and New York, will remain charter bus rides due to proximity.

          Some teams began chartering flights to games this week -- the opening week of the 2024 campaign -- after commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced May 7 that the league would be moving to a full chartering program. The league said the new full-charter plan will cost about $25 million per year over the next two seasons.

          Before this season, WNBA teams flew commercial and could only charter flights in limited circumstances. Last season, they could charter during the playoffs, for back-to-back games requiring air travel and for the Commissioner's Cup.