This past weekend, WNBA players sent a clear message to league management – it’s time to pay up.
Late last week, WNBA officials met with over 40 players for a round of collective bargaining negotiations. Suffice it to say, the players did not leave satisfied with what was on offer – some described the proceedings as “disrespectful” and a “wasted opportunity.”
The WNBA is growing financially, with a new media rights deal that will see the league getting $200 million per year, beginning in 2026. And some individual franchises are now valued between $250 million and $500 million. The sponsors are pouring in, too. But none of this is translating into pay increases for the players themselves, whose salaries top out at $250,000. (For reference, NBA players are making millions each year.)
So during warm-ups for Saturday night’s 2025 WNBA all-star game, players emerged from their locker rooms wearing the same shirt: A black tee which read, “Pay us what you owe us” in a bold white font (now licensed and available for purchase, by the way).
“We wanted to do something … as a collective, and I thought that it’s a very powerful moment,” Sparks guard Kelsey Plum told ESPN. “Sometimes, you don’t have to say anything.”
In a pre-game presser attended by ESPN, WNBA star Caitlin Clark also noted: “We should be paid more, and hopefully that’s the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. I think that’s … probably the most important thing that we are in the room advocating about.”
Fair-pay fights have long been an unfortunate tradition for women in sports – but some of those fights have led to victories. In 2022, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team successfully settled its class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation, to the amount of $24 million. And, the USSF committed to paying equal rates to both men’s and women’s teams in all future friendly matches and tournaments, including the World Cup.
“There’s no other way to look at it than just a monumental win for women’s sports, and women’s soccer in particular,” said former soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
In regards to the WNBA players and their ongoing battle, they seem to have an especially powerful group of allies on their side: The fans. During Saturday night’s game, Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was awarded the 2025 All-Star Game MVP trophy. And during her moment, the crowd of over 16,000 supporters erupted in a loud, united chant: “Pay them!”
“We didn’t know that was going to happen. So it was a genuine surprise,” Plum said to ESPN. “It just shows that as players, we are united – but the fans are united in believing what we’re seeking,” too.
