WNBA Stars Use All-Star Stage to Deliver A Powerful Message

The main attraction may have been sidelined with an injury for the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, but Caitlin Clark and her fellow WNBA players still gathered great attention on Saturday night in Indianapolis.

Both Team Clark and Team Collier took the court for warm-up wearing t-shirts with a simple slogan - “Pay us what you owe us.”

Players from both teams arrived on court pre-game wearing 'Pay us what you owe us' t-shirts.

It wasn’t league issued gear, instead it was a clear message to the league that the players are united in their fight as part of the Players’ Association, with CBA negotiations continuing to stall.

It highlights a time in sport where players are more and more willing to use their spotlight to help amplify the issues of the moment.

“Sometimes you don’t have to say anything”, said Kelsey Plum, LA Sparks player and 2-time WNBA Champion.

And she was right. A simple black t-shirt with white text was all that was required.

Injured Caitlin Clark wears a 'Pay us what you owe us' t-shirt pre-game at the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game. Photo - Steph Chambers/Getty Images

As Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) talks sit at a crossroad, the players took the opportunity on the biggest stage of the season, the only time a majority of the players will be in the same place at the same time, to make their feelings clear.

A bigger slice of the pie is the number one topic as the league continues its significant growth.

While there are plenty of pundits on social media claiming the players shouldn’t be seeking an increase in pay when the league has made ongoing losses in every season, the facts are the facts.

Plenty of commentary has been taking place online suggesting the WNBA players are not due any increase in revenue share due to previous league losses.

This is a league on the rise. Caitlin Clark alone is creating momentum at a rate we haven’t seen before.

It is a league seeing significant growth, and significant investment across the board. And the future looks bright.

Expansion is not only on the horizon, it’s knocking down the door. Expansion team fees for the latest three teams from Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia are believed to have been a record $250 million each.

However, the negative commentary that continues to show up online is understandable, to a point. Though it is often due to a lack of clarity in the information that is easily accessible to the public.

In their almost 30 years of existence, the WNBA have not once made a profit. In fact, on average they lose around $10 million per season.

Losses in 2024, despite Caitlin Clark taking the league by storm in a season that was the most watched in 21 years, were more than $40 million dollars.

There are a few things at play that should be mentioned.

Firstly, the NBA owns 60% of the WNBA. Whilst on one hand they’ve spent a long time ‘holding up’ the W in some capacity, there is also a stranglehold so to speak on revenue that the W see given a significant portion goes back to the NBA.

And then there’s the lack of public information regarding finances. Yes, it is suggested the WNBA make a loss year on year, but the figures are not all black and white and are not clearly shared in the public domain.

Some have in fact suggested that there is a method to the league’s continued narrative around ongoing loss.

“Declaring a loss can give the league leverage”, said David Berri, Economics Professor at Southern Utah University. “It can certainly help management negotiate player salaries down in their CBA.”

“This is not really about salaries though, it’s about revenue share.”

Total revenue aside, the WNBA’s male counterparts are taking home a 50% share of the league’s total revenue. That’s a percentage similar to other leagues such as the NFL and MLB.

In the WNBA it is barely 10%.

Statista (2024) compared estimated share of league revenue last season showing 50% for NBA players and 10% for WNBA Players. Source - CNN

The naysayers who are suggesting historical league losses should prevent players receiving an increased revenue share as the league grows is a simplistic view.

And those who think the W brings in less cash each year than the NBA so they shouldn't have access to similar, and somewhat basic CBA rights is plain stupid.

It's a pivotal time for the players and the future of the league.

Despite consistent losses over the years, and losses of near on $50 million as recently as 2024, the players believe it's time for them to be rewarded for the brand – the business that they are building.

And if the sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd of over 16,000 fans is anything to go by, then the majority of fans are with the players on the court.

Napheesa Collier is presented with her MVP trophy on court post-game in Indy. Photo - Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

“It was a very powerful moment,” said Kelsey Plum when asked about the fans’ reaction at the end of the game.

Prior to the game beginning, both Captains – Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier – spoke of their united front as a playing group.  

“We have had the most participation in league history, when it comes to commitment to the Players' Association. There were more than 40 players in the league meeting this weekend, and that sends a really strong message to the league,” said Collier.

Collier and Clark joke pre-game before answering all the hard questions regarding the current CBA negotiations.

For a CBA that was opted out of back in October 2024, it’s hard to believe that for a league breaking almost every record in history when it comes to commercial growth, attendance and viewership, the negotiations for a new agreement are still at a stalemate.

According to Forbes, the WNBA has seen exponential growth in almost every business metric. From sponsorship through to media rights and team value.

Franchises have seen their value increase by almost 180% on average.

Reigning New York Liberty Champion Breanna Stewart spoke of her frustration post the league and player meeting held in Indy during All-Star weekend.

“Just a wasted opportunity,” said Stewart. “We could have really gotten into a deeper dive of everything. This is the only time we have a group together like this.”

The talk of transformational change through the new CBA has been growing louder and louder since October last year, and whilst both parties suggested even over the last 48 hours that they are optimistic a deal will be done, it’s looking more and more difficult as time passes.

As Queen Phee Collier received her MVP trophy at the conclusion of the game, it was hard to ignore the roar of the crowd as they chanted “pay them.”

The huge crowd in Indy were right behind the players showing clear support at the All-Star game. Photo - Indiana Fever

“The players are building this brand and this league,” said Collier. “There is no league without the players.”

What is to come over the next 6 months could well be the most intriguing time in the history of women’s sports and collective bargaining agreements.

Players are fighting not only for themselves, but for the right of players to come.

And to be honest, they’re fighting for other ‘W’ leagues that look set to grow and fight their own battles over the years to come.

On July 20^th 2025, it may seem like there is time to get it done. But with 100 free agents on the table leading into the 2026 season, a deal must happen before the end of 2025 or it threatens to delay the season, or even worse, put a stop to a season that could well be catastrophic for a league that is booming.