WNBA Players Make Bold Fashion Statement At All-Star Game
Aliyah Boston was one WNBA star who took to the court during the All-Star game this weekend, donning warm-up shirts emblazoned with the words: 'Pay us what you owe us.' More than just a slogan on a stylish t-shirt, these words echo decades of frustration over the financial disparities that women, especially minority women, face in professional sports. The statement was a bold and necessary reminder that talent, effort, and visibility deserve proper compensation.
From the chic tunnel styles to the dynamic talent on the court, the WNBA is delivering what it is supposed to, garnering plenty of star power. However, what it has lacked is the financial recognition that the franchise has earned. Despite the league's steady growth, increased viewership, and a social media boom fueled by culturally savvy players and high-level play, WNBA athletes are still paid just a fraction of what their male counterparts in the NBA make. The call for equal pay isn't just about salaries, it's about equity, visibility, and value.
This subtle protest arrives at a critical time. The 2024 season saw record-breaking attendance and viewership, thanks in part to rookies such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, as well as the continued dominance of players like A'ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. Brands are lining up, social media is buzzing, and merch is flying off the shelves. The WNBA is no longer fighting to be seen. Therefore, when WNBA players say, 'pay us what you owe us,' they're not only speaking to the league; they're also addressing a system that has historically undervalued Black women in every field, including athletics.
GloRilla Elevates the WNBA Movement
After the subtle protest during the warm-up came the first half of the game, followed by the halftime turn-up. Memphis-bred rapper GloRilla lit up the stadium with her energetic performance, which had the players bouncing and even the popular mascot Big Ellie in her dancing bag.
The powerful statement tees coupled with the electrifying GloRilla performance were more than a moment for the WNBA. It's a movement for women. And it's time for the checks to match the cheers.
Run The Coins: WNBA Players Make Bold Fashion Statement For Equal Pay was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 minutes ago
- Yahoo
On this day: Bremer, Sundov traded, Wedman, Duerod, Hertzberg born
On this day in Boston Celtics history, former point guard J.R. Bremer was traded along with big man Bruno Sundov and draft assets to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for small forward Jumaine Jones. The Cleveland Heights (Ohio) native had signed with the Celtics as a 6-foot-2, 185 lb. free agent in the summer of 2002 after going undrafted out of St. Bonaventure University in the NBA draft of that year. Despite his lack of draft interest that summer, Bremer managed to make All-Rookie Second Team for his inaugural season in the Association, elevating his stock enough to make himself a trade asset for Boston. Bremer averaged 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in his time with the Celtics. It is the birthday of former Boston small forward Scott Wedman (born in 1952), who came to the team in a trade with the Cavaliers for center Darren Tillis and draft assets in 1983. The Harper, Kansas native would play five seasons for the Celtics, with whom he won two championships in 1984 and 1986. In 1987, Wedman was dealt with Sam Vincent to the Seattle SuperSonics for draft assets and retired immediately afterward. He averaged 6.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and an assist per game in his time with the team. Ex-Celtic small forward Terry Duerod shares his birthday, born in Royal Oak, Michigan in 1956. Duerod joined the Celtics in free agency in December 1980 and would play 53 games over two seasons before being waived by the team. The Detroit Mercy alum logged 2.8 points per game while wearing green and white. Former Celtics guard Sidney 'Sonny' Hertzberg shares the birthday with them as well, born in 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. Spanning Boston's days in the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a predecessor league of the NBA) into their first season in what became the NBA, Hertzberg played two seasons with Boston. Traded to the team from the Washington Capitals for center Chick Halbert, Hertzberg put up 9.4 points and 1.8 assists per game as a Celtic. This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics history: Bremer, Sundov traded, Wedman, Duerod, Hertzberg born
New York Times
7 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘This new league would create confusion': EuroLeague CEO on NBA, expansion, NCAA and more
It is an interesting moment in European basketball. The EuroLeague has long been considered the second-best basketball league in the world, after the NBA. But the NBA has recently shown interest in forming a new league on the continent and may launch within the next few years as it continues to examine how and when it should do so. Advertisement That has left questions about what it would mean for the EuroLeague and its future, or if the two leagues can work together. The EuroLeague has also taken steps forward to grow. It has expanded to 20 teams, and had, for a time, considered taking an outside investment from a private equity firm. As for its relationship with the NBA, executives from the two leagues and FIBA sat down for a meeting in Geneva in May and have signaled an openness to work together. In The Athletic's continuing series of Executive Q&A sessions, EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas spoke to The Athletic this week to discuss the league's future, its relationship with the NBA, his thoughts on the wave of European players leaving for NCAA schools and more. Note: This interview was edited for length and clarity. It seems like you and the NBA have been building your relationship over the last few months. I know things had not been well for a period of time there, but you had that meeting in Geneva. Where do things stand between the NBA and EuroLeague? Listen, it was a positive meeting. It was the first time out of many years that everybody was at the same table. And we need to thank FIBA for being in the middle and trying to put everybody on the same page. What we heard is the same as what is publicly known, that they're in the exploration mode, and they're trying to see how and what. We said to them, like we said publicly, we don't believe that the new league is something that would help the market. So we left with an open mind, saying that we're ready to collaborate. And the question is, how and when. We keep growing, and we keep doing our homework and maximizing the game of basketball in Europe. So I believe that only helps all the sides. And as a next step, I believe we'll have another meeting, I would say around September or during September to sit down again and hopefully get into a deeper discussion and analyzation of how we can work together. Advertisement Because I repeat it and I said it before: we don't need a new league. We are doing really good. The league is growing. We're happy to go and do it together with NBA and continuously use their power to grow the basketball in Europe. So we're open to that. What would collaboration with the NBA look like? They have a really strong image. They can help with TV deals. They can help with sponsorship. We can grow the pie bigger if we go and work together. This is always the same message. We need to care about the basketball, the basketball fan, and if we can monetize the game better — and we believe that with the NBA, we can do it better — that's the strength that we could get them to bring in, and then it comes from that. But we have a huge fan base. We have 25 years of history. This is what we said to them. Why not sit down and see how we go and make decisions together, rather than just creating a new league and for them to start over? This is basically our message. And like I said, we are open to making decisions together and pitching together and working together to, firstly, grow the pie, and then, you know, the division part is easy. First you need to kill the animal to see how much meat is on the table to divide. Would you be open to or have you discussed an NBA investment into EuroLeague? It has to come from them. We cannot go and say, you know, do it yourself. So I really believe that's why we stopped our process or put it on hold, to see and keep this option open. Most people see that if the NBA expands to Europe and starts its league, that will be a bit of a threat to the Euroleague. Do you see it that way? And do you feel like that's changed now that you guys are on better terms? I don't see it as a threat to us, to the league. We can see from the TV deals, we can see from the sponsorship, we can see from the interest of the clubs to play EuroLeague that it's not a threat and it's more a confusion. And if you look at the bigger picture, I keep repeating this, we need to care about the game — the game of basketball and the fan of basketball. Advertisement This new league would create confusion. It would create division and on simple terms, you go to the sponsor, and you say, 'I'm now this new, you know, NBA League.' And then we go, 'Well, we are EuroLeague.' And then, oh, there's this Champions League; oh, there's this Euro Cup. For the hardcore fans, everybody knows EuroLeague, and everybody knows Europe. And we are not afraid to lose these fans, because we believe we have a better product right away on the court. But when we want to grow all together to go and sell this product, you would turn on the TV and you have no idea if it's a top-tier competition, second-tier, or third-tier. That's what I mean, we can lose the potential to grow the product and get the fans to follow us because we really have the best basketball in the world on the court. Do you have any concerns about any of your A license clubs going to play in the other league? I'm really optimistic. There's a lot of confusion. And like you said, NBA is still exploring. They're talking about another two, three years. Quoting you, obviously. We are growing. Why would you leave the league which is growing? So we are doing what depends on us. We remain optimistic. We took all the right decisions. The numbers are showing this, and the future will decide. I cannot see the future, but let's see. We are doing everything that's in our hands to grow the product and grow the league. And I'm sure the clubs are acknowledging that, and they will stay with us. For next season, the EuroLeague has expanded to 20 teams. I think you're still trying to figure out the destinations for a few final fours. What would you say is the state of the league right now? Growing. I think expansion and everything — the (2025) Final Four in Abu Dhabi was a great new step. Now going to 20 teams, but keeping the same calendar, it's a huge step. So really, we are 25 years young, and it's only getting started. That's what we keep saying, because, by numbers, in the arena, outside the arena, sponsorship numbers, you know, everything; so growing is the right term. What was the reason behind expanding from 18 to 20 teams for this upcoming season? We see a lot of teams that are ready, we see a lot of potential, and we see that the competition level will be the same or even grow. I think that's the main reason, when you see that the teams are mature enough to play and to come and join you, this is an inevitable step. That's why we took two steps. One is to expand, and the other one is to give (multi)-year wild cards for the clubs so that they know that there's some stability in it. One of the teams that you gave a multi-year wild card to was Dubai Basketball. What is the benefit for your league of having Dubai Basketball in there, and how do you plan to expand the relationship with the Gulf states going forward? The first step was the final four. And because it was a success, because Dubai was a success in the Adriatic League, we think it's the right step to open up that market. You know how sports is a priority there. There's a lot of financial backing, whether it's golf, whether it's tennis, whether it's football, you know and we think the basketball deserves to be there as well. Not only with the friendly games or the Final Four, but they proved that they can deliver. They can travel. And you're right, it's not Europe, but it's also not that far. It's a gradual growth, but let's see what the next steps are. I know that you have been searching for a while for private equity investment. Where does that stand? It's on standby, but it's still in the books, and one of the reasons it's on the standby is obviously the chance to go and talk to the NBA and have them come into the mix. You've said that your revenue has grown by about four and a half times over the last 10 years. I know you just renewed media rights deals in a number of the countries in Europe where you have teams. Financially, how big do you think the market can be for the Euroleague? We need to become a tier one sport in Europe. We are not. We need to compete with Formula One. We need to compete with tennis. I can take the UK, for example. Everybody knows it's a football sport, and then you have rugby, and then you have everything else. But the number of people playing basketball is amazingly big because it's a sport that is catching up. I don't think there's a cap. You've had a good amount of European players come to the NCAA this past year, with them being able to be paid now. Is that a problem for those teams that develop the talent? How do you deal with that? I hope it's a short-term problem. The goal of signing young players is to have them play in EuroLeague and to play for the main team. Before, it was them staying inside (the club) and you being able to grow them. Right now, they take this path to go to the NCAA but with a goal. Everybody goes there believing that they will play in the NBA, but we all understand that it will be a small percentage who make that. So I think eventually they will have to come back to Europe. And that's why I say it's a short-term problem. Advertisement It's been, what, two years — now the third year —so maybe one or two more years, and the graduates will have to find a place to play. And I think the loophole will close itself. It's also bad for the NBA. It's also bad for the player this young to get millions, to lose the passion to play basketball. I think one is the money that they get. And the second thing that I always point out is that now they can go from one university to another when they open the portal, and you're no longer forced to finish the university and get the degree, which was always what was good? Because now when you keep going around, I think it's quite difficult to get there. So I hope it's a short-term problem, and we will go back, and European teams will continue to grow players like they do. Because it seems like it's hard for the European teams to compete with the colleges because they pay more from what it seems like. No, now it's insane. It's impossible to compete. Now it's insane. It just doesn't make any sense.
Forbes
7 minutes ago
- Forbes
Luka Doncic Keeps Losing Weight For The Los Angeles Lakers While Gaining Momentum Toward $369 Million
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 28: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los ... More Angeles Lakers pose for a photo before the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 28, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New) Who is this dude? 'Just visually, I would say my whole body looks better,' said Luka Doncic, normally the 6-foot-6 version of the Pillsbury Doughboy, delivering one of the understatements of the century to writers in the latest edition of Men's Health magazine. Doncic has done this dieting thing before, and he also his thrown in a few pushups along the way, but this is different. This is serious, and this is dramatic. The Men's Health writers mentioned how Doncic – as the future face of the Los Angeles Lakers over some guy named LeBron James – has spent most of his days this summer 'going from heavy Romanian deadlifts to dumbbell bench presses to lateral bounds, one right after the other.' Where is this coming from, especially since Doncic could float through the rest of his NBA career as pudgy but potent? He is just 26, but he already ranks among the all-time Europeon hoop stars from his Slovian days, and he is flirting with first-ballot status in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Oh, that's right. Doncic knows Saturday is approaching. That's when a thinner (much, much, much thinner) version of Doncic will have a better chance of positioning himself on that NBA deadline day for a $369 million contract in three years with the Lakers. Here's how: Doncic could accept a four-year deal with the Lakers for $222 million. Or he could take three years for around $160 million with a player option in 2028-29, and then he would qualify for a five-year contract worth that $369 million due to the NBA salary cap expected to rise that season. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after ... More committing his third foul during the third quarter of a game against the Utah Jazz at Arena on February 10, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) What all that means for Doncic in search of longevity (We're back to that $369 million) is to say goodbye to puffy arms, face and everything else. Suddenly, courtesy of two-a-day workouts hinting of trying to bring those old NFL training camp days to the NBA – combined with a gluten-free diet that turns sweets into the devil and makes almond milk as important as breathing – Doncic looks like somebody else. He looks like somebody in shape. More importantly, Doncic doesn't look like the guy who always had his game weight for the Mavericks listed as 230 pounds, when it was obvious to anybody with eyes that either the team was lying or the scales. During the opening 6 1/2 years in the NBA of Luka Magic, when Doncic dribbled for the Maverick after he became the third overall pick in the 2018 draft, he often seemed ready to bolt the court for the concession stands. He could play, though, and he also could dominate. As a result, his NBA resume features 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year honors, a 2024 league scoring title and five trips to the All-Star Game. He has averarged nearly a triple-double (28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists) per game throughout his seven seasons. Even so, during a nationally televised game in December 2021, Basketball Hall of Famer and TNT announcer Reggie Miller couldn't care less that Doncic was heading for 28 points, six rebounds and nine assists. He said Doncic was 'plodding up and down the court' and declared he 'has got to trim down." Miller wasn't alone. Those who run the Mavericks never did their impression of Dean Vernon Wormer chastising Flounder in the movie 'Animal House.' In other words, they never yanked off their glasses before calling Doncic 'fat, dumb and stupid.' They came close. They said Doncic was fat. OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 09: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the fourth ... More quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Two of the Western Conference Second Round Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 09, 2024 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Then, during the middle of last season, the Mavericks shocked the solar system by trading Doncic – along with the remainder of the five-year super max contract they gave him in 2021 worth $207 million – to the Lakers. To hear Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison tell it, his team primarily swapped Doncic for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis and peace of mind. "I'll say this again: Defense wins championships," Harrison told Dallas-area media in April, suggesting the defense thing and the fat thing were the reasons he was willing to suffer the wrath of the Luka-loving folks who dominate their fan base. When the Mavericks held a NBA Draft party last month at American Airlines Center, where they play their home games, thousands of fans chanted 'Fire Nico Harrison' to the top of their lungs, and that was despite the Mavericks winning the No. 1 pick in the draft and grabbing Duke sensation Cooper Flagg. Poor Harrison. Then again, with the thinner (much, much, much thinner) version of Doncic these days, Harrison had a point. Doncic also remained invisible on defense with the Lakers, so Harrison had another point. But it's like this for Doncic. With $369 million within reach, he has more important things to think about, such as banded jab steps and medicine balls.
