Without the players, there is no WNBA. That’s what All-Star MVP echoed after the game: “The players are what is building this brand and this league. There is no league without the players.” There is no $2.2 billion media rights deal. And the league management had a stark reminder this All-Star Weekend when the players decided to display their demands in a simple six-word message, “Pay Us What You Owe Us.” They had special shirts made, which they wore during their warmups. 

The timing was strategic as the CBA negotiations were at their height this weekend, and the players wholeheartedly rejected the initial proposal from the WNBA. And when the league reached its height at the All-Star Weekend, the players decided to bring the world’s attention to the important topic at hand. The shirt is also available for sale on the players’ union’s Instagram account, with all proceeds going to the WNBPA and the players.

While their demands were rejected by the league. Their bold move of displaying their demands to the world has received massive support from none other than Hilary Clinton. Clinton posted Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Plum’s candid photo wearing the shirts and captioned the photo as “Everyone watches women’s sports—and the players should be paid what they’re owed. I stand with @theWNBPA and everyone else fighting for equal pay.”

Clinton’s career and campaigns have often emphasized equal pay and fair compensation for everyone to deserve. And her support is not without facts backing her up. After a record-breaking 2024 season, they are not stopping, as halfway through the 2025 season, the WNBA is showing that it was not a fluke. TV ratings are even higher than last year, up 23% across the board. 

Attendance has continued its upward path, with games on average seeing 13% more fans than last year and total ticket sales up 26% overall. The new team, Golden State Valkyries, is the team with the highest average attendance, with 18,064, signaling that the interest is not just around Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, but fans are genuinely wanting some WNBA action.  Clinton’s endorsement of their movement adds further boost for a favourable outcome for the players. The advantage of this growth is not going to players, and that is the central topic that Clark and Co. are protesting against. 

“Honestly, I feel like that’s where we’re fortunate is that we have those other deals. And I think that’s one of the things we’re in the room fighting for,” Clark said Saturday. “Like Phee said, we should be paid more, and hopefully that’s the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. That’s probably the most important thing that we’re in the room advocating for.”

The WNBA salary accounts for less than 1% of Clark’s salary, as her brand deals earn her a lot more. Even if she is well off otherwise, the impact she brings in is not worth the salary the league is giving her. Her economic impact is projected to cost more than a Billion Dollars this year, and she is still on the rookie salary that earns around $84000 per year. If the WNBA keeps underpaying its best player, then there might be extreme consequences in the future. The other players have it even worse as they have to play international tournaments to support their earnings. This CBA is make or break for their future, and this shirt was a brilliant way to capture the attention of the world.  

WNBA Players’ Warm-Up Shirts as a Brilliant Power Move

The All-Star Weekend was a culmination of all the growth the league has seen over the last year. The 2024 All-Star Weekend came too early to fully capitalize on their growth, as people were still skeptical about the league. However, after a year of sustained growth, this was the first time the league had a chance to show off, and in Indiana for the first time, no less, the home of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. With more than 4 million viewers watching the All-Star Game nationwide, according to The Athletic, this was the best time to send a message. 

Even if someone is not a WNBA follower, they are bound to glance on the All-Star weekend, and the players’ message before the game quickly went to the headlines. It was clear and concise. For the WNBA fans, it came right around the news that the CBA negotiations have blown up, and for the non-fans, the shirts brought up the conversation. While not all fans who saw the message agree with it, it brought their problems to the fore. Instigating the conversation was one of the main motives behind that shirt. 

The bargaining cycle for the CBA is set to end in October, and this is the time the players are using their leverage over the league to get better conditions. Their leverage is the growth that they have made in the past year, which WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert acknowledged in her address to the media. 

Their shirts further ignited the fan support as the crowd at the All-Star Game chanted at the top of their lungs, “Pay Them! Pay Them! Pay Them!” right when the Commissioner was awarding Napheesa Collier her All-Star MVP award.  And it was appreciated by Collier as she told ESPN, “The fans making that chant, that gave me chills.” 

Passive applause was transformed into audacious action when the WNBA players decided to sell those shirts. Applauding from the stands is one thing, but when supporters donate actual cash to the cause, that’s a statement that cannot be ignored. Locked in, players and fans form a movement too large for the league to ignore. Furthermore, the call for change spreads well beyond the court when someone like Hillary Clinton takes the initiative to raise awareness of it.