When I entered the WNBA in 2012, things looked…different. Not every team had their own practice facilities and we had to share spaces with NBA or college teams, or even rent out recreational facilities. And up until last year, we flew economy for away games, meaning that when we played back-to-back nights, we spent lots of time waiting at the airport and didn’t get much down time before our next game.
Now, many teams have their own practice facilities, and all 13 teams fly charter with Delta. I never thought I’d see these changes while I was in the league; they’ve allowed me to go through the season with more time to recover to stay healthy and play what continues to be an expanded season, especially with an increase in cadence of games. This change ultimately may be adding years to my career.
As the president of the Women’s National Basketball Player’s Association, our union, I’m always thinking about how treatment can improve, especially as we work on our next collective bargaining agreement (CBA). (Our current contract expires at the end of this season in October.)
Massive changes have been made—like getting real practice facilities and better means of travel—because we’ve advocated for ourselves. Our Player’s Association staff and executive committee has expanded, and we have a board of player representatives that is much more engaged than when I first entered the WNBA.
We’ve all played a part in getting better treatment and helping this league grow, and I’m grateful to have been a part of such pivotal moments. The improvements that we see in our day to day are indicative of the growth of women’s sports and business.
The wins that we’ve experienced over the past few years not only extend players’ careers, they’ve helped me play better than ever in the present—here’s how:
Because we have real practice facilities, I don’t have to think about logistics anymore—I can just focus on my job.
When I first started in the WNBA, I spent a lot of time figuring out what to eat before practice and when to arrive at the gym based on when the weight room and rims might be available. (Sometimes, there were only two rims available because other teams were practicing at the same time.) In terms of recovery, our sports medicine team has always done their absolute best to provide us with care that keeps us on the court; and, up until recently, without facilities. Still, we didn’t have adequate resources that could help us with post-practice recovery, so I’d often have to figure it out on my own at home.
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Now, when I get to the Seattle practice facility, I can change in the locker room, fuel with the food provided for us, and lace up my shoes without worrying if there will be space for me to shoot because we have multiple courts and rims. Then, when I need to recover after practice, we have better sports recovery resources available at the facility. Although we still use tools like recovery boots, post-performance supplements and shakes, and physical therapy, we can also utilize our aquatics center and hyperbaric chambers to bounce back. You can really only take advantage of those resources in the comfort of a facility.
This treatment didn’t exist even two years ago. The way I’m able to do my job has changed drastically, because I no longer have to plan around these logistics. I don’t have to think about much besides just playing basketball—and that’s how it should be, because as pros, that’s what we’re paid to do.
My post-game recovery is much more efficient because we now fly charter.
We used to fly economy, which means we went through the normal airport routine, even after playing back-to-back games and feeling exhausted. It took time to get to the airport, check our bags, hopefully get on a flight that wasn’t delayed, land, and then wait for our luggage on the carousel. By the time we got to our hotel, we were spent and didn’t have much time to recover before the next day’s game.
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But in August 2024, all WNBA teams began flying with Delta, our official airline, which I never thought I’d experience in the league, and we’re so incredibly grateful for it. Now, I feel much more prepared for my next game because I’m able to do my whole post-game routine: I immediately drink a Cheribundi juice and tackle my post-game lift. (Our strength and conditioning coaches encourage us to push our bodies to the limit on game days, then completely rest on recovery days.) Then, I’ll shower, eat—there’s food ready for us to refuel with—fly out immediately, and recover on the plane. (No more waiting at the airport!)
Back when we flew commercial, I couldn’t bust out my Normatecs or lay down and sleep like I can now. And when I’m home after just a few hours, I can quickly hop into some type of water therapy or the hyperbaric chamber, which allows my body to recover faster after I play. Then, I sleep in my own bed (key!) and feel more recovered for the next day’s practice or game.
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When it comes to travel, we’re now treated like pros. People might describe our new treatment as “perks,” but we see it as an investment and a resource that really enhances the player experience. I’m just very grateful to have been in the league when we have a partner in Delta who believes in that for women’s sports.
However, there’s no guarantee that we’ll keep flying charter next year. In our current CBA, flying charter was definitely a topic of discussion, so we’re looking to codify charter travel in our next contract to continue traveling as first class athletes.
We’ll continue fighting for higher pay in our next collective bargaining agreement.
Pay equity is always a topic of discussion when it comes to women’s sports, and the league has grown exponentially over the past few years, so we’re prioritizing an increase in salaries. We want to see our value reflected in our paychecks as it relates to the business and get our fair share. I think we can set the tone in how to approach negotiating and mobilizing and serve as examples as female athletes playing at the highest level.
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Don’t get me wrong: It’s an honor to play in this league. It’s one of the hardest leagues to make a team on, so as players, we’re grateful that it exists. But we’ve evolved past just being appreciative because we want to be treated the way we should be, as it’s reflected in investment, resources, fan engagement, and growth all around the league. I’m grateful to be part of this league’s history and legacy, so I want to keep investing in it.
We’ve experienced tons of wins over the years—one of them, being able to sustain the high level and caliber of being players in the league. But the biggest win has been players speaking up. We haven’t just waited for things to be changed for us—we are serving as our own agents of change.
Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women’s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City—she recently completed her first half-marathon—and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.