WNBA Players Make A Strong Statement At All-Star Game With ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ Shirts

WNBA players made a strong statement to the league during the All-Star Game on Saturday. As they came out for warmups before the start of the game, the players wore shirts that read “Pay us what you owe us.”

The clips soon went viral on the internet and sparked a discussion between people who support the players and others who feel the players are already being paid enough. Fans in attendance also showed their support for the players at the end of Saturday’s game, chanting “Pay them!”

What did WNBA players say after making a statement for better pay during the All-Star Game?

Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA, showed her appreciation after seeing the fan’s support at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“We had no idea that they were in solidarity with our demonstration,” Ogwumike told reporters, per The Associated Press. “I’ve been hearing it all weekend at the fan events, supporting us and wanting us to get our fair share of the value.”

Some of the other All-Stars also addressed the topic during their postgame interviews.

“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,” Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier told reporters, per The Associated Press. “So we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that.”

Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said the players were surprised when they saw the support from fans at the arena.

“That was a powerful moment,” Plum said in her postgame interview, per ESPN. “We didn’t, at least as players, we didn’t know that was going to happen. So it was a genuine surprise. Those chants tonight, those signs, it just shows that as players, we are united, but the fans are united in believing what we’re seeking.”

What was discussed in the WNBA’s recent CBA negotiations?

The topic of fair pay was discussed on Thursday as the players met with WNBA representatives to continue negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement. According to ESPN, the players walked away from the meeting without feeling satisfied with the league’s offer.

The meeting came after the players opted out of their CBA in October to negotiate a deal that would bring an improved revenue-sharing system, higher salaries, more benefits and a less strict salary cap. The players said at that time that there is a large discrepancy between their needs and the league’s offer. Collier and other stars have said that they could walk out if they don’t agree to a new deal by October.