WNBA All-Stars make statement with warmup shirts over CBA with league
INDIANAPOLIS — The WNBA All-Stars wanted to send a clear message to the league on the game's brightest stage.
ll 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,” Napheesa Collier said 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 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 fans will wear them as the union announced on social media during the game the shirts were on sale.
Ogwumike was unaware the shirts were already on sale.
“You put it out there, and you stand on business,” Courtney Williams said about the shirts. “And we’re standing on business.”
Collier made a statement with her record play on the court and the players made one with warmup shirts for the WNBA All-Star Game.
Collier scored a record 36 points to help her team beat Team Clark 151-131 in the WNBA All-Star Game that was devoid of defense but full of 4-point shots.
This record offensive effort came a year after the league's annual exhibition game was a competitive contest that pitted the U.S Olympic team against WNBA All-Stars.
The game capped off a weekend where negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement took center stage. Players wore T-shirts while warming up before the game that said “Pay us what you owe us.”
“The players are taking this seriously, I think it sends a really strong message that we're standing really firm in certain areas that we feel really strong that we need to improve on. I think we got the message across,” said Collier, who was named the game's MVP.
As she waited to get her trophy the crowd chanted “Pay them more” and All-Star Brittney Sykes held up a sign saying “Pay the Players.”
Clark was unable to play for her team because of a groin injury she suffered earlier this week. She still served as ambassador for the weekend.
Known for her deep logo 3-pointers, Clark would have loved a chance at the 4-point shot that was added to this game which was 28-feet from the basket.
Both teams took advantage of the deep shot en route to the record-setting offensive night. They combined to hit 20 of the shots on 65 attempts.
The 151 points scored by Team Collier broke the mark put up by Team Stewart of 143 in 2023 for the most in an All-Star Game. Collier’s point total broke Arike Ogunbowale’s previous record of 34 points scored last year.
