WNBA players advocated for higher pay with custom shirts before the All-Star Game
Ahead of Saturday's 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, the players involved made a clear statement to the league over the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
During All-Star Game warmups, WNBA players wore a shirt that read "Pay Us What You Owe Us" in front of the large crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the audience at home.
With the current WNBA CBA expiring in October, the players and the league officials have been unable to come to terms on a new agreement. The new CBA would presumably raise the ceiling for what WNBA players would earn during a season, among other pertinent issues.
Just how much the pay scale would increase, if at all, is likely the biggest sticking point between players and the league. With the rampant growth the WNBA has experienced, this is a historic opportunity for the players to change the financial landscape for how they are compensated for their work.
Players came out wearing 'pay us what you owe us' shirts to big cheers from the crowd.Comes after what players had a meeting with the league about the CBA on Thursday, which they described as a 'wasted opportunity.' pic.twitter.com/SvHMaIg7IL
WNBA players wear "Pay Us What You Owe Us" shirts ahead of the All-Star Game. 🏀💰 #WNBA pic.twitter.com/oCD1K93XgP
More than 40 players met with WNBA officials in Indianapolis on Thursday.
After the meeting, the WNBA's players association says the league's response to its CBA proposals "fails to address the priorities we've voiced from the day we opted out: a transformational CBA that delivers our rightful share of the business that we've built, improves working conditions and ensures the success we create lifts both today's players and the generations that follow."
Arguably the league's biggest financial driver, Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark, voiced her position on the currently unsuccessful CBA negotiations.
"We should be paid more, and hopefully, that's the case moving forward as the league continues to grow," Clark told reporters ahead of this year's All-Star Game, via SI's Robin Lundberg. "I think that's something that's probably the most important thing that we're in the room advocating about."
Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA CBA negotiations down to the simplest form pic.twitter.com/fbzG9Kfc0d
We'll see if the league eventually responds to these proposals from the players or if the WNBA is actually headed for a lockout.
From the statement the players made at the WNBA All-Star Game, they will clearly not back down from their goals to increase their compensation for their immense contributions to the league.
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