What happened to Brittney Griner? WNBA star and teammates confronted by 'social media figure' at Dallas airport

On June 10, WNBA star Brittney Griner was confronted at a Dallas Airport. Controversial YouTuber Alex Stein released a Tweet regarding the incident, teasing the release of a video where he appears to be harassing Brittney Griner in what appeared to be a targeted confrontation.

"Do you wanna boycott America, Brittney? She hates America! What about the merchant of Death, Britt?" Stein asks during the teaser he shared on social media.

Following the incident, the WNBA released a statement regarding the encounter, noting how Stein's actions were "inappropriate and unfortunate."

"As we gather additional information about today's incident at the Dallas airport, it has come to our attention that this was orchestrated by a social media figure and provocateur. His actions were inappropriate and unfortunate," the statement read.

"The safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority. 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. We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players."

Griner was traveling out of Dallas after the Phoenix Suns had played the Wings twice - once on Wednesday, June 7, and again on Friday, June 9. She has been enjoying a strong start to the 2023 WNBA season, averaging 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 64% from the field.

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WNBA players union calls for charter flights to help protect players

Following the incident involving Alex Stein and Brittney Griner, the WNBA players union released a statement. They urged the league to provide charter travel for all WNBA teams.

"What BG and all of her Phoenix teammates experienced today was a calculated confrontation that left them feeling very unsafe," The statement read. "Everyone who was paying attention knew this would happen. We could have and should have been more proactive.

"Allowing teams to fly charter is ONLY about player health and safety, and until the league and teams take this issue seriously, situations like this will continue to occur. Every commercial flight forced upon our players is a threat to their health and safety. We implore the league and the teams not to wait another day to change the rule regarding travel."

Due to the ease with which Stein confronted Brittney Griner, it's likely that both the Phoenix Mercury and WNBA will re-assess their security protocols to protect their players.