Brittney Griner Being Heckled in Airport Sparks Fury at WNBA

Basketball player Brittney Griner and her Phoenix Mercury teammates were confronted by a right-wing "provocateur" at an airport on Saturday, prompting the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to respond.

Alex Stein posted a video to Twitter on Saturday afternoon that appears to show part of the confrontation at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. In his Twitter post, Stein also teased that a longer video would be uploaded on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. CT.

"Do you still wanna boycott America, Brittney?" Stein asks Griner as she walked through the airport, according to the clip, while a man repeatedly tells him to stop.

"It's so sad that asking Brittney Griner tough questions about her trade for the 'Merchant of Death' is being considered as assault by the WNBA," Stein told Newsweek on Sunday. "This is just the beginning of my beef with the WNBA. I won't stop until the entire league issues me an apology."

In a statement, the WNBA said the incident was orchestrated by a "social media figure" and "provocateur" whose "actions were inappropriate and unfortunate," adding that "the safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority."

The WNBA had discussed with Griner's representatives and the Phoenix Mercury security about its concern when the All-Star center traveled for road games after she returned from being detained in Russia in a prison swap in December, the Associated Press reported. She was granted permission to book her own charter flights.

Griner was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport last February when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She had traveled to Russia to compete in a pro-league there during the WNBA off-season. Griner was released in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout or as he's known by some as "The Merchant of Death."

"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 WNBA's statement on Saturday said. "We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players."

WNBA teams have flown commercially during the regular season since the league's inception in 1997, as the league typically does not allow teams to charter flights because it could create a competitive advantage for teams who can afford to pay for them.

The WNBA added charter flights for the playoffs this season, but only some back-to-back regular-season games were scheduled for such flights.

At the time of the Saturday's incident, the Phoenix Mercury players were on their way to Indianapolis via commercial flight, a spokesperson from Griner's talent agency told NPR. It was not clear why Griner was not scheduled to fly charter.

Meanwhile, the incident sparked an outcry on social media, with many calling for the WNBA to provide charter flights for all teams.

In a tweet, Phoenix Mercury player Brianna Turner wrote that "player safety while traveling should be at the forefront. People following with cameras saying wild remarks is never acceptable."

Turner added: "Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better."

Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, wrote on Twitter that Griner and the WNBA players "are leaders who inspire hope for a better, more inclusive and less divided America.

"They are celebrated for the ways their activism inspires positive change. In doing that, they also become targets for hate, threats and violence and today's incident is a clear reminder of that. We cannot celebrate these women and their leadership without also protecting them. It's past time for charters and enhanced security measures for all players," she wrote.

The WNBA players' union issued a statement saying that Saturday's incident demonstrates that "the matter of charter travel is NOT a 'competitive advantage' issue."

The union added in its statement that what Griner and all of her teammates experienced "was a calculated confrontation that left them feeling very unsafe. Everyone who was paying attention knew this would happen. We could have and should have been more proactive."

USA Today's Mike Freeman wrote in an op-ed that was published on Saturday night that the blame for what happened lies with the WNBA.

"The harassing of Griner and her teammates highlights why charter flights are needed for WNBA teams, and it demonstrates why the WNBA has failed in protecting all of its players by not securing them," he wrote, who noted that WNBA athletes are politically active and outspoken.

"This is a good thing and they are incredibly brave," Freeman added. "But this makes them targets and we are in a violent country with a right wing that pushes horrific rhetoric toward its perceived opponents."

However, some commenters on Twitter noted the steep cost of charter flights, suggesting the WNBA should not have them unless the league generates more revenue. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert has previously said the league had estimated it would cost more than $20 million for all teams to fly by charter instead of commercial airlines for a full season, The New York Times reported.

The Phoenix Mercury said in a statement that was posted to its Twitter account that the team will be working with the WNBA on next steps.

"We are committed to our support of BG and advocating for all American hostages abroad," the team's statement said. "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."

Newsweek has contacted Griner's representatives and the WNBA for comment.

Who is Alex Stein?

Stein, a self-described professional troll, began his career on YouTube and is now the host of Prime Time with Alex Stein on the conservative network Blaze Media.

The show's guests have included Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, and Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes.

Stein gained notoriety after disrupting local government meetings during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the past year, he has become known for confronting politicians. Last year, he filmed himself calling Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat, a "big booty Latina" outside the U.S. Capitol. Ocasio-Cortez spoke out against the sexual harassment, and said Stein was "clearly someone seeking extremist fame."

Stein also called Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, a "coward" at a convention last year.