Latest news with #NapheesaCollier
Arab News
28 minutes ago
- Sport
- Arab News
WNBA All-Stars make statement with warmup shirts over CBA
INDIANAPOLIS: The WNBA All-Stars wanted to send a clear message to the league on the game's brightest stage. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport 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.' 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.'
Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Napheesa Collier caps busy weekend with All-Star Game MVP Award in win over Team Clark
Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier played the role of All-Star captain perfectly. First, she made all the right picks for her roster. Then she answered all the labor questions. And finally, she showed everyone, even the WNBA's young guns, how to stay focused on basketball. The five-time All-Star scored a record 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led the aptly named Team Collier past Team Clark 151-131 in the highest scoring All-Star Game in WNBA history. Naturally, Collier was selected the MVP. She made 13 of 16 shots, four from the specially designed AT&T logo 4-point-line that seemed perfectly aligned for Caitlin Clark, the other team captain who didn't play because of a right groin injury. And it was all by design. 'I tried to make my team not have that many new players," Collier said. "I've played with a lot of them and so it was good to get back with them, play with, like you said, some of those new players I haven't played with before.' But for Collier, this weekend in Indianapolis was about much more than a single game. The vice president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee and a co-founder of the Unrivaled basketball league never got distracted by a demanding schedule that forced her to prioritize the WNBA's future over adding another award to her trophy case. Collier spent Thursday afternoon negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and Friday answering questions from a throng of reporters detailing the meeting. On Saturday, she shared the pregame stage with Clark for a news conference between the captains. And after the game, there were even more questions about the CBA. 'I feel like I haven't been able to forget it (Thursday's meeting) because people won't let us, which is amazing,' Collier said. 'Just the awareness we've raised this weekend, you guys asking these questions, the fans doing the chants, that, like, gave me chills.' But Collier also helped fuel the effort. She, like the other All-Stars, wore a T-shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us" during pregame warmups. Then she reinforced the message with a historic game. Collier broke the All-Star Game's individual scoring record while her team scored a record 82 first-half points. Another of Collier's picks, Seattle guard Skylar Diggins, became the first player with an All-Star triple-double in the same venue she led Notre Dame to the national championship game more than a decade ago. And Collier even connected with rookie Paige Bueckers, both former UConn stars, for a basket. The captain couldn't have scripted it any better. 'We set a lot of records,' Collier said. 'Skylar had a triple-double, which is insane. It was just so fun. We had a great time.' ___ AP WNBA: recommended Item 1 of 1
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Napheesa Collier caps busy weekend with All-Star Game MVP Award in win over Team Clark
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier played the role of All-Star captain perfectly. First, she made all the right picks for her roster . Then she answered all the labor questions. And finally, she showed everyone, even the WNBA's young guns, how to stay focused on basketball. The five-time All-Star scored a record 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led the aptly named Team Collier past Team Clark 151-131 in the highest scoring All-Star Game in WNBA history. Naturally, Collier was selected the MVP. She made 13 of 16 shots, four from the specially designed AT&T logo 4-point-line that seemed perfectly aligned for Caitlin Clark, the other team captain who didn't play because of a right groin injury. And it was all by design. 'I tried to make my team not have that many new players,' Collier said. 'I've played with a lot of them and so it was good to get back with them, play with, like you said, some of those new players I haven't played with before.' But for Collier, this weekend in Indianapolis was about much more than a single game. The vice president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee and a co-founder of the Unrivaled basketball league never got distracted by a demanding schedule that forced her to prioritize the WNBA's future over adding another award to her trophy case. Collier spent Thursday afternoon negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and Friday answering questions from a throng of reporters detailing the meeting. On Saturday, she shared the pregame stage with Clark for a news conference between the captains. And after the game, there were even more questions about the CBA. 'I feel like I haven't been able to forget it (Thursday's meeting) because people won't let us, which is amazing,' Collier said. 'Just the awareness we've raised this weekend, you guys asking these questions, the fans doing the chants, that, like, gave me chills.' But Collier also helped fuel the effort. She, like the other All-Stars, wore a T-shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us' during pregame warmups. Then she reinforced the message with a historic game. Collier broke the All-Star Game's individual scoring record while her team scored a record 82 first-half points. Another of Collier's picks, Seattle guard Skylar Diggins, became the first player with an All-Star triple-double in the same venue she led Notre Dame to the national championship game more than a decade ago. And Collier even connected with rookie Paige Bueckers, both former UConn stars, for a basket. The captain couldn't have scripted it any better. 'We set a lot of records,' Collier said. 'Skylar had a triple-double, which is insane. It was just so fun. We had a great time.' ___ AP WNBA:
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Napheesa Collier named WNBA All-Star Game MVP as Team Collier cruises past Team Clark
INDIANAPOLIS — Paige Bueckers wasted no time. When the WNBA All-Star Game began Saturday night, featuring a handful of unique rules that included a 4-point line, the Dallas Wings rookie launched and nailed a 4-point shot to start the game. It was a sign of things to come as Bueckers and Team Collier cruised to a 151-131 victory over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game. Saturday marked the first time the league held its annual midseason showcase in Indiana, and for a state that proudly claims its love of basketball is greater than the other 49, the atmosphere remained upbeat despite a lopsided outcome. Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier took home the MVP honors with an efficient performance that mirrored the ones that've placed her at the forefront of the regular-season MVP conversation. The five-time All-Star finished with 36 points, including four 4-pointers, and nine rebounds. Collier's 36 points were an All-Star Game record, but it's worth noting that Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale's previous record of 34 points in last year's All-Star Game was not aided by 4-pointers. During Collier's trophy presentation, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's voice was drowned out by loud chants of 'PAY THEM! PAY THEM!' in reference to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement negotiations between the WNBA and the WNBA Players Association. The players wore black T-shirts with white lettering that said 'Pay Us What You Owe Us!' during warmups to further their message about wanting higher salaries in the new CBA. The current CBA expires Oct. 31. 'The players is what is building this brand and this league,' Collier said. 'There is no league without the players. Past, present, the (players) coming up — they're the ones that have put in the blood, sweat and tears for the new money that's coming in, and so we feel like we are owed a piece of that pie that we helped to create.' Aside from CBA levering, Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray and Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum also had solid showings for Team Collier with 18 and 16 points. Plum provided some of the funnier moments of the night by fouling her former Las Vegas Aces teammate A'ja Wilson as Wilson dribbled up the court in the first quarter and refused to let her go. Adding to her shenanigans, Plum threw the ball off the back of Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who represented Team Clark, in the second quarter before throwing a behind-the-back pass to Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins, who then dished it to New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart for a layup that gave Team Collier a 76-54 lead. Fellow Team Collier member and Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike scored 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting to become the second all-time leading scorer in WNBA All-Star Game history. The 2012 No. 1 pick and 10-time All-Star has now scored 116 points in the All-Star Game, trailing only Lynx legend Maya Moore for the most all time (119 points). Diggins, a seven-time All-Star, made history as well. The Indiana native and 2009 Indiana Miss Basketball recorded the first triple-double in All-Star Game history with 11 points, 11 rebounds and an All-Star Game record 15 assists. Fever star Caitlin Clark was sidelined for Team Clark on Saturday with a right groin injury, but as the unofficial host of All-Star weekend, her presence was still felt before and during the game. The two-time All-Star received the loudest roar during pregame intros and spent most of the night cheering on her teammates. However, in typical Clark fashion, she couldn't help but talk a little trash. After Plum got called for a travel in the third quarter, Clark immediately popped up off the bench and demonstratively mimicked the referee's traveling signal and made sure Plum didn't miss it. The Fever were still well-represented in the All-Star Game with center Aliyah Boston and guard Mitchell making their third appearances. Mitchell paced Team Clark with 20 points, two rebounds and two assists. Boston chipped in with 9 points and six rebounds. Washington Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen, also representing Team Clark, capped the night with a 4-pointer in the closing seconds. She scored 17 points off the bench as every reserve for Team Clark reached double figures in scoring. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Napheesa Collier caps busy weekend with All-Star Game MVP Award in win over Team Clark
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Napheesa Collier played the role of All-Star captain perfectly. First, she made all the right picks for her roster. Then she answered all the labor questions. And finally, she showed everyone, even the WNBA's young guns, how to stay focused on basketball. The five-time All-Star scored a record 36 points, grabbed nine rebounds and led the aptly named Team Collier past Team Clark 151-131 in the highest scoring All-Star Game in WNBA history. Naturally, Collier was selected the MVP. She made 13 of 16 shots, four from the specially designed AT&T logo 4-point-line that seemed perfectly aligned for Caitlin Clark, the other team captain who didn't play because of a right groin injury. And it was all by design. 'I tried to make my team not have that many new players," Collier said. "I've played with a lot of them and so it was good to get back with them, play with, like you said, some of those new players I haven't played with before.' But for Collier, this weekend in Indianapolis was about much more than a single game. The vice president of the Women's National Basketball Players Association executive committee and a co-founder of the Unrivaled basketball league never got distracted by a demanding schedule that forced her to prioritize the WNBA's future over adding another award to her trophy case. Collier spent Thursday afternoon negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement and Friday answering questions from a throng of reporters detailing the meeting. On Saturday, she shared the pregame stage with Clark for a news conference between the captains. And after the game, there were even more questions about the CBA. 'I feel like I haven't been able to forget it (Thursday's meeting) because people won't let us, which is amazing,' Collier said. 'Just the awareness we've raised this weekend, you guys asking these questions, the fans doing the chants, that, like, gave me chills.' But Collier also helped fuel the effort. She, like the other All-Stars, wore a T-shirt that read 'Pay us what you owe us" during pregame warmups. Then she reinforced the message with a historic game. Collier broke the All-Star Game's individual scoring record while her team scored a record 82 first-half points. Another of Collier's picks, Seattle guard Skylar Diggins, became the first player with an All-Star triple-double in the same venue she led Notre Dame to the national championship game more than a decade ago. And Collier even connected with rookie Paige Bueckers, both former UConn stars, for a basket. The captain couldn't have scripted it any better. 'We set a lot of records,' Collier said. 'Skylar had a triple-double, which is insane. It was just so fun. We had a great time.' ___ AP WNBA:
