DALLAS — Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates have been confronted by a “provocateur” at a Dallas airport on Saturday, the WNBA mentioned.
The league mentioned in a commentary it used to be taking a look into the staff’s run-in with a “social media figure” whose “actions were inappropriate and unfortunate.”
“The safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority,” the league said, without specifying what exactly happened.
Griner and her supporters had lobbied for charter flights after she returned from detainment in Russia, saying the highly publicized case compromised her and others’ safety. The league granted Griner permission to book her own charter flights to road games.
Mercury player Brianna Turner said in a tweet people at the airport followed the team with cameras “saying wild remarks.”
“Excessive harassment,” Turner tweeted. “Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better.”
A Twitter consumer posted a video that looks to turn part of the war of words.
The WNBA has added constitution flights for the playoffs this season, however just a handful of back-to-back common season video games have been scheduled for such flights.
WNBA groups have flown commercially all the way through the common season because the league’s inception in 1997. The league most often doesn’t permit groups to constitution as a result of it will create a aggressive merit for groups who can come up with the money for to pay for them.
“Prior to the season, the WNBA worked together with the Phoenix Mercury and BG’s team to ensure her safety during her travel, which included charter flights for WNBA games and assigned security personnel with her at all times,” the league’s commentary reads. “We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players.”
The WNBA players’ union issued a statement Saturday, saying the situation at the airport makes it “quite clear that the matter of charter travel is NOT a ‘competitive advantage’ issue.”
“What BG and all of her PHX teammates experienced today was a calculated confrontation that left them feeling very unsafe,” the WNBPA commentary reads. “Everyone who was paying attention knew this would happen.”
The Mercury released a statement saying the team will be working with the league on next steps.
“We are committed to our support of BG and advocating for all American hostages abroad,” the staff commentary reads. “We will continue our support of marginalized communities and fighting the kind of hate that targeted us today. No one, regardless of identity, should ever fear for their safety.”
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