Breanna Stewart knew where she wanted to go. Someone was in her way. During games, that’s not a problem for the WNBA MVP. While boarding a commercial flight, it’s a bit trickier.
On a recent connecting flight carrying the New York Liberty from Atlanta to Las Vegas, Stewart had to ask a man in the aisle seat to get up briefly so she could contort her 6-foot-4 frame through the row before settling in her window seat as the passengers in line behind her patiently waited. The man politely complied, perhaps unaware that one of the best players in the women’s game would be sharing his overhead bin space for the next four hours.
Players and staff of the New York Liberty wait to board buses at Harry Reid International Airport on June 28, 2023, in Las Vegas.Players are in comfort seats or economy-plus to ensure extra leg room, per the collective bargaining agreement. That helps, but taller players like Stewart and her 6-6 teammate Jonquel Jones still find themselves in tight spaces sometimes. Not to mention 6-10 Han Xu, who wasn’t on the road trip because she was playing with the Chinese national team in the Asia Cup.
With tickets in hand, players headed straight to security — but here’s the catch: Though most had either TSA precheck or Clear status, foreign-born players don’t have that option. Their flights were on time despite thunderstorms wreaking havoc on air travel last week but if there had been any cancellations, New York had its usual backup plan.The buses that transported the team from Mohegan Sun stayed at the Connecticut airport until the Liberty’s plane took off. Assistant general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said it’s a common practice, adding that if something had gone wrong the Liberty would have bused back to New York where there were more flight options.
Once the team finally arrived in Las Vegas nearly 12 hours after dropping their bags at that Connecticut hotel lobby, the players boarded a waiting bus while the staff headed for baggage claim to make sure all 65 bags made it to Nevada. New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart waits for coffee after traveling for most of the day at Harry Reid International Airport while traveling with the team on June 28, 2023, in Las Vegas.
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