Caitlin Clark and the Fever Are Thrilled to Fly Charter for the First Time to WNBA Opener: 'This Is Nice!'
The team traveled to Connecticut on Monday on one of the league's first charter flights
Erica Wheeler/Instagram
Caitlin Clark — and the Indiana Fever — are flying high!
On the eve of the regular season, the WNBA rookie and Fever players and staff celebrated a recent change to the league’s rules, which now allow teams to now use charter flights for away games.
On Monday, May 13, Fever guard Erica Wheeler shared a peek at what the new travel arrangements look like in a fun post to her Instagram Stories.
As Wheeler walked through the cabin, the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick saluted her while looking relaxed in her seat near the front of the plane, wearing headphones and a comfy-looking cream-colored Nike tracksuit.
The WNBA veteran continued down the plane’s aisle, where other players greeted Wheeler and were seen seemingly enjoying their enhanced legroom as well as their snacks.
“We on the charter,” Wheeler, 33, said. “This is nice, baby!”
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On Tuesday, May 14, the team tips off its season against the Connecticut Sun at Mohegan Sun Arena.
With newfound attention on women’s sports and the impact of Clark — and other college stars like Angel Reese — the WNBA announced last week that it would begin using charters to fly teams to away games.
“We intend to fund a full-time charter for this season,” WNBA president Cathy Engelbert told reporters on Tuesday, May 7, according to the Associated Press.
Related: Caitlin Clark’s Teammates Put on Unofficial Iowa Graduation as She Misses Ceremony for WNBA Practice
Engelbert added that the change in air travel would happen “as soon as we can get planes in places.”
The transition from the WNBA’s 12 teams flying commercial to using charters will cost the league about $25 million a season for the next two years, ESPN reported.
As the season gets underway, most of the league has yet to enjoy the perks of flying privately.
New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart shared her frustration on X on Monday.
“2 out of 5 WNBA teams traveling today are on WNBA charters – and that’s a win. It could be a bigger one if the W allowed teams who were not offered League charters to secure their own until a full 12 team solution is ready…Trip #1 of the season – Charter Bus,” Stewart wrote alongside a bus emoji.
The team was traveling to Washington, D.C. to take on the Mystics on Tuesday.
The Minnesota Lynx was the other team that flew on a charter plane, heading to their first game of the regular season against the Seattle Storm.
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