Before Saturday night\u2019s WNBA All-Star Game, players for both Team Collier and Team Clark took to the court for warmups wearing black shirts that read \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us.\u201d<\/p>\n
That move comes two days after<\/a> players met with the league as part of collective bargaining agreement negotiations and left feeling as though not enough progress was being made<\/a> to avoid a potential lockout situation.<\/p>\n Videos and images of players like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Plum, and the 2025 All-Star Game MVP, Napheesa Collier, wearing the shirt spread across social media, sparking predictable responses<\/a>. While some defended the players and their desire to be compensated fairly, others chastised them for being entitled and demanding more money from a league that currently operates at a loss.<\/p>\n Those opinions seem to fall along obvious ideological lines, so one might have assumed that Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy, an avowed Donald Trump supporter<\/a>, would be among the chastisers.<\/p>\n However, that was not the case, as the future Big Noon Kickoff panelist<\/a> came to the defense of WNBA players and attempted to explain how people should view the league\u2019s financial future.<\/p>\n I see lots of morons trying to act like WNBA players don\u2019t deserve more money. They are throwing around this \u201clost 50 million\u201d number that nobody even knows where it comes from. The finances of the league are a mess, tied in with NBA and purposely murkey. The owners don\u2019t\u2026<\/p>\n \u2014 Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI see lots of morons trying to act like WNBA players don\u2019t deserve more money,\u201d Portnoy wrote on X. \u201cThey are throwing around this \u201clost 50 million\u201d number that nobody even knows where it comes from. The finances of the league are a mess, tied in with NBA and purposely murkey [sic]. The owners don\u2019t want to say how the league is doing cause then you gotta pay more going into bargaining agreement.<\/p>\n \u201cThe league is exploding. Franchise values are exploding. Ticket sales, merch, tv rights all exploding. The players have an opt out in their CBA. Of course they took it. It\u2019s all about leverage in re-negotiations and for the 1st time in history of league players have power. The players make virtually nothing while the entire league explodes. Of course they deserve more money. Just the values of the team pay for it without all the other stuff.<\/p>\n \u201cIf somebody told me I could buy a Boston team for 250 million, I would do it without blinking. That\u2019s all you got to know about the WNBA finances.\u201d<\/p>\n As Portnoy alluded to, many detractors pointed to a report that said the WNBA lost $40 million last season. However, as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has stated<\/a>, it\u2019s not so simple when it comes to NBA and WNBA finances. Additionally, the league is experiencing a massive surge in popularity<\/a>, expanding to several new cities<\/a>, and is set to begin a $2.2 billion media deal<\/a>. Not to mention the Caitlin Clark Effect<\/a>, which is still just getting started.<\/p>\n All this is true. https:\/\/t.co\/RDZk2uMQl9<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n