Connecticut Sun coach Stephanie White was an All-American and national champion for the Purdue Boilermakers in the 1990s and a WNBA star in the 2000s.
But, she said, the popularity and name recognition of today's top women's basketball players, such as B. Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 WNBA draft pick by the Indiana Fever, has risen dramatically since her playing days.
“It's crazy. It’s night and day,” White said. “I have been active in this league for a long time. All I see is the difference between the crowds that come before and stay after to get autographs and the crowds that flood the hotel lobbies. You see the same thing with men.” … That’s the trend [on the women’s side].”
And with growth comes new challenges.
“As an organization we talk a lot about player safety and security. We remind our players that we are putting someone in charge of security,” White said. “I am grateful for the growth of our sport, but we must also stay one step ahead in protecting our players.”
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The league announced this week that it is taking a major step — one players have been demanding in recent years — and getting charter flights for the entire 2024 season. The WNBA said Thursday that the charters would be “phased in” starting this regular season “as soon as possible.”
The players see charter flights as a great help for both health and safety reasons. It will save time and wear and tear on your body. But it also allows teams to avoid potentially awkward situations in airports, like what happened last season when a YouTube provocateur confronted Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner.
“We have always been a league that has been touted as incredibly accessible to fans, and we don't want to change that,” said Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike, president of the players' union. “But as our game evolves and grows, we need to pay a little more attention to what that accessibility looks like.”
“We are all entering new territory and will experience things we have never experienced before. The influx of these new, younger players bringing their following with them is going to require things that maybe we haven't done yet.” It doesn't take away the authenticity of our accessibility, but still maintains the necessary boundaries for players to feel safe.
Fans were able to attend the WNBA Draft for the first time in years, which meant lots of autograph requests for Caitlin Clark. David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Clark's popularity skyrocketed over the last two seasons in Iowa and continued in the WNBA. Other players in the 2024 draft class also built their profiles during their studies, supported by NIL deals that made them more visible through endorsements.
No. 2 pick Cameron Brink of the Los Angeles Sparks said she doesn't think she has any issues with safety herself. However, the Stanford graduate worries about others.
“I’m worried about my friends — Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark,” Brink said.
Clark and Reese, the Chicago Sky's No. 7 prospect out of LSU, gained notoriety while still in college. This is exactly what women’s basketball needs. Reese and Clark are outgoing and relate well to fans, and their impact on the WNBA's popularity is already being felt.
But popularity can also attract followers with questionable intentions.
“Chicago did a great job of making sure I was protected,” Reese said. “I know [Sky personnel] Got my back. You say no to something that I may not see [isn’t] best for me. I’m still learning how to say the word “no.”
“It’s obviously a big change in women’s basketball and things we’ve never seen before.”
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Indiana general manager Lin Dunn said the Fever noted the safety measures Iowa took to deal with the crush of fans around Clark.
“It all depends on visibility,” Dunn told ESPN. “In the past, our players weren’t recognized as much. But look at the millions who watched the Final Four and the draft. You know who these players are. We’re just paying more attention to safety – all of us, the league and the teams.”
The WNBA conducts safety meetings with teams and provides them with resources and guidance.
“Ensuring the safety of WNBA players is paramount,” Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement to ESPN. “The league’s security policies and stadium standards were developed in consultation with experienced security experts, and the league employs dedicated security representatives in each WNBA team market to work in coordination with the team’s security staff.”
However, Las Vegas Aces defenseman Chelsea Gray reiterated this week that while individual team safety has improved, she remains concerned about the league as a whole.
“The Aces have taken the necessary steps to protect the people in our organization,” Gray said. “Overall I think the responsibility still lies with the teams. With the league, I don't know if the proper precautions were taken. But the Aces organization said, 'If this is a problem for our players, we'll listen to you and let's make a change.'”
Aces coach Becky Hammon played 16 years in the WNBA. She said safety was one of the first topics she discussed with Las Vegas management when she returned to the WNBA before the 2022 season after eight years as an NBA assistant coach.
“If our players want to go out to dinner, I want someone to go there with them,” Hammon said. “I want them to walk to the restaurant and come back. That’s why we hired a security service to accompany us all day and at each of our events.”
She said safety is an issue, particularly for players who already stand out because of their size and/or public profile.
“We want to make sure they are taken care of,” Hammon said.
