{"id":12265,"date":"2025-07-21T06:16:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-21T06:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/12265\/"},"modified":"2025-07-21T06:16:16","modified_gmt":"2025-07-21T06:16:16","slug":"wnba-all-stars-wear-pay-us-what-you-owe-us-shirts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/12265\/","title":{"rendered":"WNBA All-Stars wear ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ shirts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Negotiations for the WNBA collective bargaining agreement are off to a shaky start<\/a>, and the players used Saturday night\u2019s All-Star Game as an opportunity to make their stance clear.<\/p>\n

During warm-ups ahead of the All-Star Game in Indianapolis, WNBA stars wore shirts that read \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us\u201d to send a message about the CBA negotiations.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the ESPN on ABC broadcast, WNBA Countdown host Elle Duncan asked analysts Chiney Ogwumike and Andraya Carter about the shirts: \u201cWhat do you make of this move to very publicly say to the league and put them on alert, \u2018We want this money\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

WNBA players wear \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us\u201d shirts ahead of the All-Star Game. \ud83c\udfc0\ud83d\udcb0 #WNBA<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/oCD1K93XgP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all, that\u2019s probably the best part of being a fan, a part of the community of the WNBA. They stand on business,\u201d Ogwumike, a former WNBA Players Association (WNBPA) vice president, responded. \u201cWhether it is the basketball or just advocating for themselves or their communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is probably the biggest and most impactful negotiations in the history of women\u2019s sports. And they know the numbers. They understand that the interest is at an all-time high. Look at attendance, merchandise, revenue. And I do believe that they were caught off guard by probably the not expected initial offer. But we understand also that this is a business. But they are standing on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ogwumike and Carter noted the huge turnout by WNBA players at a CBA meeting that took place on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey had to bring new chairs in,\u201d Carter said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would tell you all, if not most of your favorite players, were in that meeting,\u201d Ogwumike added.<\/p>\n

WNBA All-Stars took the court with shirts saying \u201cPay Us What You Owe Us\u201d amidst CBA discussions with the league. @sportsiren<\/a> provides the latest from the AT&T WNBA All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com\/a7HoRRRVkR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ESPN (@espn) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The players are also well-educated on the business, as Carter and Ogwumike explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was with Sydney Colson this morning. And she was talking to me about how the players understand business,\u201d Carter said. \u201cAnd right now, things seem like the WNBA, the commissioner, they feel like the players don\u2019t understand business. But the players are saying, \u2018No, we understand the numbers. We actually do know the numbers. And we want our pay to reflect that.’\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when people say, like, \u2018How do you know they know business?\u2019 It\u2019s because they have actually a board of advisors who are leaders in multiple companies that specialize in these statistics,\u201d Ogwumike explained. \u201cI was a part of the last process\u2026 This last process, what you notice is people said it moved the needle, not just for women\u2019s basketball, but women\u2019s sports because of what they got. Paid maternity leave. They basically initiated the conversations about charter travel. There are so many items that matter to these players to codify, and I believe that, hopefully, they will get to the right solutions. But right now, the players are making a statement.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carter closed the discussion with this point: \u201cI also just feel like better play is only going to help the product. You have to invest in something. You\u2019ve got to spend money to make money. So, the players\u2019 pay is huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Led by young stars such as Caitlin Clark<\/a>, Angel Reese<\/a>, and Paige Bueckers<\/a>, the WNBA has never been more popular and valuable, and with more league expansion to come.<\/p>\n

Speaking to the media on Saturday before the game, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert expressed optimism that a new CBA deal will be reached.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Cathy Englebert pre-game presser. This stood out when asked about CBA mtg. \u2066@WNBA<\/a>\u2069 \u2066@CathyEngelbert<\/a>\u2069 pic.twitter.com\/D04kpqgZUm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Cathy Engelbert speaks, she has \u201cconfidence\u201d that something can get done by October, but she\u2019s not going to put \u201can exact date on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

(the CBA expires on 10\/31\/25).<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sara Jane Gamelli (@SaraJGamelli) July 19, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Fans in attendance at Gainbridge Fieldhouse showed support for the players with \u201cPAY THEM\u201d chants as Engelbert was on the mic for the postgame All-Star Game MVP (awarded to Napheesa Collier) presentation.<\/p>\n

Crowd chants \u201cPAY THEM\u201d at Cathy pic.twitter.com\/68lqg18Oy6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 correlation (@nosyone4) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPAY THEM!\u201d<\/p>\n

Fans letting the league know after the WNBA All-Star Game \ud83d\udde3\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/fjk4M5yWLP<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

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