REPORT: WNBA Threatened Terminating The New York Liberty Franchise Over Major Flight Violations During 2021 Season

The WNBA’s New York Liberty were reportedly fined a league-record $500,000 for chartering private flights for the players during the second half of the 2021 season.

It was a league record fine, but according to Howard Megdal, the WNBA was mulling something even more drastic.

“After someone alerted the WNBA to the Liberty’s violations, possible remedies floated by the league’s general counsel, Jamin Dershowitz, ranged from losing ‘every draft pick you have ever seen’ to suspending ownership, even ‘grounds for termination of the franchise,’” per SI’s report.

BREAKING from @howardmegdal for @SInow: The WNBA fined the New York Liberty $500K—down from $1M—for taking chartered flights last season, against CBA rules. Options floated by the league’s general counsel included possible termination of the franchise https://t.co/PIp71dJSZt

— Julie Kliegman (@jmkliegman) March 1, 2022

The Tsais, who purchased the Liberty in January 2019, tweeted in July that he was going to “solve this transportation problem for good.”

Enough is enough. I’m going to solve this transportation problem for good. @WNBA @nyliberty https://t.co/IkW8Kpiy5l

— Joe Tsai (@joetsai1999) July 10, 2021

The New York Liberty is one of the founding franchises of the WNBA, so eliminating them from such a huge market would’ve been castrophic.

The issue with New York’s charter flights is that it “creates a competitive advantage,” because not all league owners have the means to pay for that level of transportation.

The WNBA fined the New York Liberty a league-record $500,000 for taking chartered flights last season against CBA rules, per @SInow.

Other possible remedies included:
➖ Suspending owners
➖”Losing every draft pick you’ve ever seen”
➖ Even “termination of the franchise” pic.twitter.com/b2yy3OUgfJ

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 1, 2022