Hillary Clinton Takes Firm Stance on WNBA Player Pay Movement

Former USA presidential nominee Hillary Clinton weighed in on the WNBA's current CBA negotiations.

Aug 19, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former Secretary of State, speaks during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center. The DNC program will feature President Joe Biden and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during Monday's ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Josh Morgan-USA TODAY | Josh Morgan, Josh Morgan / USA TODAY NETWORK

While the WNBA's ongoing negotiations with the league's players regarding the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) have been one of the biggest stories in the women's basketball community for much of the past year, it ascended into the mainstream over the weekend.

This is largely owed to the statement that the WNBA All-Star roster made by wearing t-shirts that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us" onto the court during warmups for the league's All-Star Game on July 19.

These shirts went supremely viral and sparked a ton of discussion about what the players are seeking: increased salaries and a greater revenue share than the approximately 9% they're currently receiving.

Former United States presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sent a strong message about this player pay movement with a July 21 Instagram post that featured a photo of Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark wearing the aforementioned t-shirt. The post's caption was, "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 post has caught fire on social media, with icons like Lisa Leslie "liking" it on Instagram and countless other fans reposting it on X.

While it's unknown just how much Clinton knew about this before the past weekend, that's exactly what the point of these t-shirts was: to spread awareness with a picture (or a piece of clothing, in this instance) that speaks 1,000 words.

The pressure seems to be on the WNBA now more than ever, given that the world is watching.