The WNBA plans to commit $50 million over the next two years to provide full-time charter flight service for its teams during the season.

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a meeting with sports editors on Tuesday that the league will launch a charter program “as soon as we can get planes in places.” She said it’s projected to cost around $25 million per year for the next two seasons.

That means no more long security lines, bodyguards in public spaces, cramped legroom or layovers for the professional athletes who have been lobbying for better travel long before Caitlin Clark’s celebrity brought newfound interest to the league.

GOBERT WINS 4TH DPOY AWARD

Rudy Gobert made some history. Victor Wembanyama nearly did.

Gobert, the Minnesota center, was announced Tuesday night as the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time. He joins Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace.

French centers went 1-2 in the voting, with San Antonio’s Rookie of the Year in Wembanyama placing second.

He nearly became the first rookie to win the award. Miami’s Bam Adebayo was third and finished among the top five for the fifth consecutive season.

MURRAY FINED $100,000 IN LOSS

DENVER (AP) — Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray has been fined $100,000 by the NBA but avoided a suspension for what the league described as “throwing multiple objects in the direction of a game official during live play.”

Murray threw a towel and a heat pack onto the court from the bench late in the second quarter of Denver’s 108-80 loss to the Wolves.

Minnesota leads the best-of-seven series 2-0 and Games 3 and 4 are in Minneapolis this weekend. The Nuggets were frustrated with the officiating as they allowed the Wolves to take a big lead in the second quarter.

SHARKS WIN THE NHL DRAFT LOTTERY

The San Jose Sharks won the draft lottery and earned the right to have the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft for the first time in franchise history.

And general manager Mike Grier already has an idea of who he’ll be selecting: Boston University center Maclin Celebrini.

The 17-year-old Celebrini has ties to the Bay Area and ranked first among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. The Sharks finished last in the overall standings and retained their position in the lottery. The lottery proved anti-climactic with no changes to the draft order.

The Chicago Blackhawks, who selected Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick last year, retained the No. 2 selection, followed by the Anaheim Ducks.