WNBA Players Demand League ‘Pay’ What Their Owed with All-Star Shirts

WNBA players turned their All-Star Game into a public negotiation event on Saturday night by wearing T-shirts that said, “Pay us what you owe us,” to the game.

The shirts are the latest attempt by the players to convince WNBA leadership to raise their pay.

WNBA players have been locked into intensive negotiations with the league as part of the collective bargaining process.

On Thursday, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that the negotiations with the players had been “productive.”

“I respect the players who are listening to our owners, and we’re kind of in the middle as the league to set this up for decades,” Engelbert said.

Judging by the players’ T-shirts, it’s safe to say they’re not entirely convinced the talks have been so “productive.”

The visibility of the All-Star Game, combined with the fact that Caitlin Clark herself also wore the T-shirt, heightens awareness of the pay issue.

“We should be paid more, and hopefully that’s the case moving forward, as the league continues to grow,” Clark told reporters. That’s something that’s probably the most important thing that we’re in the room advocating about.”

The WNBA Players’ Association (WNBAPA) took the league to task for not significantly increasing player compensation, despite the league’s recent exponential growth.

“This business is booming,” the WNBPA said in a statement. “Media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, ticket sales are all up in historic fashion. But short-changing the working women who make the business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever.

“It’s not complicated.”