Before the start of the season, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert revealed that the league was working on a unique and “confidential” plan for Britteny Griner. And she did so once it became clear that the Phoenix Mercury star would need extra security and likely private travel to and from games. She recently became a controversial political figure due to her imprisonment in Russia. But now it appears the league has not followed its promises. At least, that’s what Brianna Turner has recently alleged. Turner took to Twitter on Saturday morning and lamented an issue with player safety while traveling.
“Player safety while traveling should be at the forefront,” Turner wrote, “People following with cameras saying wild remarks is never acceptable. Excessive harassment. Our team nervously huddled in a corner, unsure how to move about. We demand better.”
The issue appears to have happened in Texas, as the Mercury played in Dallas on Friday night and likely traveled to Indiana for their game on Sunday. Griner seems to have been approached and harassed by a right-wing YouTube personality, Alex Stein.
Those in the sports world weighed in on social media on the perceived lack of safety, with most aiming the league’s commissioner:
As of the timing of this article, there’s been no word yet from the WNBA.
About Sam Neumann
Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.