\u201cIt\u2019s just learning more, asking more questions, understanding the two sides of the negotiation and how we have to come to terms with it and find a middle ground in what both sides want,\u201d Bueckers said. \u201cWe are to stand firm in what we believe we have earned, and the people before us have earned, so it\u2019s continued negotiations, but we\u2019re being firm on what we believe in and what we stand for.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Collier guard Paige Bueckers (5) looks on before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images \/ Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Dallas Wings should join 6-7 craze with their No. 1 overall pick<\/a><\/p>\n Bueckers was among the All-Stars this year who wore a “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirt in pre-game warmups, which was a bold statement to the rest of the world. She’s only in the first year of her rookie contract, but she’s arguably the second-most marketable star in the league behind Caitlin Clark, who also commented on the negotiations. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is the biggest moment the WNBA has ever seen, and it\u2019s not something that can be messed up,\u201d Clark said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to fight for everything that we deserve, but at the same time, we need to play basketball. That\u2019s what our fans crave, and that\u2019s what all of you crave as well. You want the product on the floor. At the end of the day, that\u2019s how you make the money, that\u2019s how you\u2019re marketable, that\u2019s what the fans get excited about, that\u2019s what the fans want to show up for. It\u2019s business. It\u2019s a negotiation, and there has to be compromise on both sides. We\u2019re starting to get down to the wire a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n The deadline was extended back to January 9th, which is now the second time the two sides have agreed to a temporary extension to the deadline after it was originally supposed to expire on October 31st. <\/p>\n