'Pay us what you owe us': WNBA All-Stars make statement with warmup shirts over CBA
The WNBA All-Stars wanted to send a clear message to the league on the game's brightest stage.
All of the players on Team Clark and Team Collier warmed up for Saturday night's WNBA All-Star Game in shirts that read "Pay us what you owe us."
"We get a very tiny percentage of all the money that's made through the WNBA, which obviously is made through the entertainment we provide," said Napheesa Collier on the decision to wear the shirts. "So we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that."
The idea was hatched Saturday morning at a players meeting.
The demonstration comes after the players and the league failed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement at an in-person meeting Thursday. The league's players opted out of their last CBA in October, and are looking for a better revenue-sharing model, increased salaries, improved benefits and a softer salary cap.
After the failed negotiations, many players said there was a large discrepancy between what they wanted and what the league was offering. If a new CBA is not reached by October some players, including All-Stars Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese, have mentioned the potential of a walkout.
At the end of the game, chants of "Pay them!" broke out in the arena. Some fans held signs that read "Pay the players," during the game.
"We had no idea that they were in solidarity with our demonstration," said Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA. "I've been hearing it all weekend at the fan events, supporting us and wanting us to get our fair share of the value."
Women's sports are booming. Why now?
This was potentially the last time that so many players would be together in one place before the season ends — a fact not lost on the union leadership.
"This is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness for what we're doing and do it together," Collier said.
The players aren't decided whether they'll wear the shirts on their own teams over the course of the second half of the season which begins Tuesday. They hope that fans will wear them as the union announced on social media during the game that the shirts were on sale.
Ogwumike was unaware that the shirts were already on sale.
"You put it out there, and you stand on business," said Courtney Williams about the shirts. "And we're standing on business."
Women's sports aren't just having a moment, they're having a movement
16 days ago
From the launches of the PWHL and the NSL, to the smashing success of the WNBA in recent years, women's sports have become big business.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
3 minutes ago
- CTV News
White-hot Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in the American League
Toronto Blue Jays' Nathan Lukes, right, celebrates his two-run home run with Will Wagner (7) against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) The Toronto Blue Jays have the best record in the American League and now could be just one win from overtaking the best team in baseball. Toronto has been white hot since the end of May and broke a franchise record earlier this week with 11 consecutive wins at home, before a 5-4 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday. The Jays have won 19 of their last 24 games thanks to contributions from the top to the bottom of the order, and put on a clinic in Detroit Thursday night, routing the Tigers 11-4. Fans online are saying this iteration of the team is reminiscent of the 2015-2016 ball club, which made back-to-back appearances in the American League championship series. This is the first time that the Jays have led the AL East this deep into the season since 2015, when they finished the year atop the division with a record of 93-69. Before that, Toronto hadn't held a division lead in the summer since 1993—when they won the second of two World Series. Currently, the Toronto Blue Jays' 61-42 record puts them just behind the Milwaukee Brewers' 61-41. Toronto will play the Tigers (who have lost 10 of their last 11 games) three more times before they head to Baltimore for a four-game series against the 45-57 Orioles. The Jays will return to the Rogers Centre on Friday, August 1 to play the Kansas City Royals. Are you starting to get Blue Jays fever? Have you been making an effort to attend more games at the Rogers Centre? Would you identify yourself as a Blue Jays superfan? Does this year's run have you reflecting on the World Series years? CTV News Toronto wants to hear from you. Email us at torontonews@ with your name, general location and phone number in case we want to follow up. Your comments may be used in a CTV News story.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ends in a loss to Magdalena Frech in DC
Venus Williams reacts during a match against Magdalena Frech, of Poland, at the Citi Open tennis tournament Thursday, July 24, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON — When Venus Williams' bid for her first winning streak since 2019 ended with one last forehand that landed long, the spectators at the D.C. Open's main stadium Thursday night gave her a standing ovation. She responded with a smile and the sort of pirouette and wave she usually reserves for celebrating wins. Williams hadn't competed anywhere in more than a year, and so even if this tournament was over for her after a 6-2, 6-2 loss to 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech in the second round, just being back out there was big for the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion — and her many fans. 'Oh, I had so much fun. Definitely not the result I wanted, but still a learning experience. The part about sport (and) life is that you never stop learning,' the 45-year-old Williams said. 'I got to play a lot of matches here and that definitely was a plus. The fans in D.C. are just epic. I couldn't have been happier with my first week back.' Her victory in the first round Tuesday against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns made Williams the oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova was 47 in 2004. That was Williams' first win in singles since 2023, and she joked afterward that she was motivated to succeed because she wanted to be able to renew her access to the WTA's health insurance plan after being inactive for so long. This hard-court tournament was the first event for Williams since March 2024; she missed time because of surgery for uterine fibroids. 'Health care is so important — and access to health care and being able to see the right and the best doctors for whatever you're going through,' Williams said. 'Obviously it's a fun and funny moment, but it's an issue that people are dealing with, so it is serious.' She won a doubles match in Washington, too, and playing a total of four matches — two each in singles and doubles — across four days finally caught up to her. 'I feel like I ran out of gas today, unfortunately,' Williams said. 'I tried to find the energy, and I didn't find it.' The last time Williams won at least two matches in a row was in August 2019, at the Cincinnati Open, where she put together three consecutive victories before losing to Madison Keys in the quarterfinals. Williams began well against Frech, going up 2-1. But from there, Frech claimed seven straight games to own the first set and lead 2-0 in the second. Frech is a 27-year-old from Poland whose best Grand Slam showing was a run to the fourth round at the 2024 Australian Open before losing to Coco Gauff. 'I can't even imagine how she pushes herself,' Frech said about Williams. 'It's really amazing.' The show under the lights on this evening was all about Williams, whose greeting was much louder when she walked out on court toting a green exercise band. Every time Williams unfurled one of her booming groundstrokes — and make no mistake, she still can hit the ball hard — the crowd in the main stadium let out a roar. The problem for Williams: She frequently was unable to properly calibrate those shots, including when she sailed a forehand way out after rushing forward to get to a short ball off Frech's racket. That gave Frech a 3-2 lead. Williams would drop her head or slump her shoulders after some misses, and she had 14 unforced errors in the opening set, more than twice as many as Frech. Fans often responded with an 'Awwww' right away, before trying to give Williams a boost by yelling support. There were clap-accompanied chants of 'Venus!' when she broke to get within 4-2 in that set. But Williams didn't get another game. 'There's so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve,' said Williams, who also accepted a wild-card invitation to play in the Cincinnati Open next month. 'The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in.' In other action Thursday, top-seeded Jessica Pegula lost to 2021 U.S. Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, and Emma Raducanu dominated her first career matchup against Naomi Osaka, winning the showdown between past U.S. Open champions 6-4, 6-2. Seeded men advancing included No. 1 Taylor Fritz, No. 4 Ben Shelton, No. 6 Frances Tiafoe, No. 7 Alex de Minaur, No. 8 Daniil Medvedev, No. 12 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and No. 14 Brandon Nakashima. ___ AP tennis: Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
New Jersey Little Leaguer plays after judge lifts his suspension for ‘unsportsmanlike' bat flip
DEPTFORD, N.J. — Marco Rocco fidgeted with his helmet and dug in at the plate to chants of 'Marco! Marco!' from his Little League teammates as he settled in for a night of baseball, after his family got mixed up in a court case where a judge — not an umpire or coach — made the call that allowed him to take the field. The 12-year-old played Thursday night for his New Jersey team hours after he faced a suspension from his first state tournament game after he was ejected for flipping his bat as he celebrated a home run. Marco, who's from Haddonfield, New Jersey, tossed his bat in the air on July 16 after his sixth-inning, two-run homer in the final of the sectional tournament. Marco was ejected and suspended for a game over what his family was told were actions deemed 'unsportsmanlike' and 'horseplay.' The family sought an emergency temporary restraining order that would allow him to play in the New Jersey state tournament that started Thursday. He got one. Judge Robert Malestein ruled hours before the game that Marco could play. Joe Rocco, Marco's father, said the experience was 'stressful' but added he was 'just happy my son got to play baseball.' Marco played for Haddonfield against Elmora Little League in the first game of a four-team, double-elimination tournament at the Deptford Township Little League complex. Elmora won 10-0 in a game that was shortened to four innings by the mercy rule. Marco went 0 for 2 with two strikeouts. Marco was on the bench when the game started — his father said it was to ease Marco into the game — but was inserted at third base after Haddonfield's starting pitcher allowed six runs in two-thirds of an inning and was pulled. Little League stood behind its umpires but said it would respect the judge's decision. 'While we continue to follow any orders governed by the court of law, Little League is extremely disappointed that time, energy, and attention were diverted away from our volunteers and communities who are creating positive experiences for all players and families throughout the International Tournament,' Little League International wrote in a statement. 'Trusted by parents and communities around the world, Little League holds the integrity of the game, respect for game officials, and sportsmanship of teams as core tenants of our program. We expect all players, coaches, volunteers, and staff to uphold these values at all times.' The sides made their arguments before a judge in Gloucester County Chancery Division on Thursday afternoon, just hours before the game. The winner of the state tournament advances to the regionals, where it has a chance to move on to the Little League World Series. 'Little League maintains that tournament rules serve as the guide for any determination regarding conduct, of which falls distinctly under the discretion of the umpire,' the baseball organization said. 'As all youth sports officiating continues to face challenges and abuse by parents and fans, and as we face a nationwide shortage of umpires and volunteers, it is more important than ever that we are supportive of Little League umpires, including the judgements and decisions they make at the local league level.' Deptford Little League president Don Bozzuffi made national headlines in 2023 when he threatened to turn unruly spectators into umpires. What makes the ejection and suspension noteworthy is that Little League Baseball posts videos of bat-flip celebrations on social media that do not result in punishment. In fact, Marco has tossed his bat in celebration in prior tournament games without warnings or punishment, according to the court complaint. 'We tried to settle with them. They refused to do it,' Rocco said. 'So I had no other option.' Brian Berkley, the Rocco family attorney, noted Little League has promoted bat-flipping highlights on its website and other social media platforms. 'Let's be clear, there is no express rule in the Little League rule book against flipping a bat in celebration,' Berkley argued. 'When it suits Little League's interest, it not only condones bat flipping, but it actually promotes bat flipping.' Malestein agreed there was a double standard when it came to punishing or promoting bat flipping. 'By punishing this youngster on this occasion and not him on the two prior occasions, or by punishing this youngster and not others, who are on the website and on the social media website, of the X website of Little League baseball, it appears they engaging in an application of their rules which would appear to be arbitrary and capricious,' Malestein said. 'Which is, would be, an abuse of discretion.' Ken Goldin, the owner of Goldin Auctions and star of the reality show 'King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,' has a son on the Haddonfield team. He said the team was 'surprised' the flip merited an ejection. 'I've seen a lot of Marco bat flips,' Goldin said. 'It was a little high but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. It went straight up and it landed straight down, right where he was. I didn't think it was ridiculous. It certainly was a high flip. It's the championship game, the last inning, it put the game away.' But could this outcome lead to more parents taking blown calls and unhappy outcomes to court? 'I would think so,' Rocco said. 'When I talked about bring a suit against Little League, everyone said, 'You can't do that, you'll never win. Umpires can do whatever they want.' The court decided different today.' ___ Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
