The NBA was thrown into chaos when news emerged this week of Terry Rozier’s arrest by the FBI on gambling-related charges, joining other current and former players and coaches. The league responded quickly by placing all involved on leave from their teams, leaving their future roles with the organizations uncertain. Questions remain about whether they will continue to be paid by their respective teams.

This question was recently answered. According to reports, Rozier is still set to collect his $26.6 million salary while on leave from the team, according to the NBA collective bargaining agreement. For his salary to be terminated, the league must find out if he violated rules or not before deciding on a suspension or a ban. The optics of a player involved in schemes still cashing in millions while under investigation didn’t sit right, especially with those fighting for fair compensation.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham reacted to the Terry Rozier update with a simple, stunned post: “no way. please tell me this is fake…” Cunningham has been known for her candor, and she kept it real.

Coming from a player who earns $100,000 per season, roughly one four-hundredth of Rozier’s salary, the contrast spoke to the collective disbelief of countless WNBA players who have spent years pushing for pay increases while watching NBA salaries soar.

Cunningham has never been shy about addressing the pay gap in professional basketball, and her comments ahead of the WNBA collective bargaining agreements highlights how strongly she feels about it.

“When it comes to salary and revenue share, we are fighting to share in the growth that we’ve created,” she said, calling the current cap structure “insane.”

She argued that the pay should reflect the business players help generate, calling the compensation from the league, “the most disrespectful percentage that any league has ever seen.” Her stance is widely shared by many other WNBA players, like Napheesa Collier.

She hasn’t backed away from being even more critical towards the league’s leadership. “Yeah, you can just tell Cathy to pay us,” she said, calling out WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert before adding that the players aren’t backing down.

“There’s a potential lockout. I promise you we aren’t going to play until they give us what we deserve.” Her message is clear: if the WNBA wants to maintain their momentum, they must start matching the player’s value.

Miami Heat Locker Room Rallies Behind Terry Rozier Amid Scandal Fallout

While the scandal has put a lot of attention on Terry Rozier, his Miami Heat teammates are standing by him. Though the team hasn’t released an official statement, head coach Erik Spoelstra addressed the situation recently, offering reassurance.

“Terry is somebody who is very dear to all of us. He’s had a real positive impact on our locker room and the staff and players alike,” Spoelstra told reporters. “That includes last year, when I wasn’t in the rotation oftentimes. Our thoughts and our care for him, you know, as he goes through this.”

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His teammates also spoke on the situation, with center Bam Adebayo saying, “You support [Rozier] through and through. That’s our brother out there at the end of the day… He brings that great energy to our team… You never want to see something like that happen, for us as a team.”

Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. said, “We see what happens. There’s a lot of stuff that we don’t know. Just wait for more information to come out and just, you know, collectively send our thoughts and prayers with him and his family.”

Looking forward, the Heat must be careful in their official addressing of the situation. The players’ public support of Rozier highlights a locker room unwilling to turn their back on a teammate in jeopardy, even as the storm continues to build around him.