WNBA players made their feelings about their pay known at the All-Star Game on Saturday night, walking out onto the court with t-shirts that simply said, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.”
The All-Star weekend came at an exciting yet contentious time for the WNBA, as the players are currently in the midst of collective bargaining agreement negotiations with the league. On Thursday, more than 40 players left a meeting with the WNBPA without the contract they were hoping for, as the current one is set to expire in October.
The players decided to seize the national stage on July 19, taking the court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, for pre-game warm-ups wearing the simple black t-shirts.
Indiana Fever player and captain of Team Clark, Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky player Angel Reese, Minnesota Lynx player and captain of Team Collier, Napheesa Collier, along with every other player to take part in the night, proudly wore the shirts as they geared up for the game.
After Team Collier defeated Team Clark in a 151-131 victory, Collier was awarded the MVP trophy as the sold-out crowd began chanting, “Pay Them!” Collier said that the fans making the chant on their own “gave me chills.” The players had a meeting the morning of the All-Star game in which they all agreed to wear the shirts during warm-ups.
"We wanted to do something that was united as a collective, and I thought that it's a very powerful moment and got the point across," Los Angeles Sparks player Kelsey Plum told ESPN. “Sometimes, you don't have to say anything.”
She continued: “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.”
The WNPBA licensed the slogan, “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” and has begun selling the t-shirts for $32.
The WNBA's popularity has grown in recent years, with players becoming celebrities in their own right and games selling out nationwide. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said that viewership was up 23% and attendance is up 26% — highlighting the need for payment that matches.
The pay disparity in women's sports has been an ongoing discussion for years. The WNBPA, which is the union that represents the players, is trying to negotiate a pay structure in which the players' salaries “grow with the business, and not just a fixed percentage over time.”
"We see the growth of the league, and as it stands, the current salary system is not really paying us what we're owed," WNBPA president Nneka Ogwumike told ESPN. “And we want to be able to have that fair share moving forward, especially as we see all of the investment going in, and we want to be able to have our salaries reflected in a structure that makes sense for us.”
