WNBA Players Make 'Pay' Statement With All-Star Shirts

The WNBA All-Stars made a statement amid CBA negotiations before taking the floor for the exhibition in Indianapolis.

Jul 19, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Team Clark guard Caitlin Clark (22) and Team Collier guard Kelsey Plum (10) before the 2025 WNBA All Star Game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The WNBA All-Star festivities have been a cause for celebration. Not only has the league continued to grow, as noted by commissioner Cathy Engelbert in her media availability prior to the game, but players have certainly enjoyed the weekend—just take a peep at what has been captured on the ever-present "Studbudz" stream.

WNBA COMMISSIONER, CATHY ENGELBERT, DANCING TO "KNUCK IF YOU BUCK" BY CRIME MOB????????

STUDBUDZ HAS GONE TOO FARRRRR, BRUH 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/pWbEwMwvcj

— zavanté (@taylenciaga) July 19, 2025

Yet, amid said festivities has been another common theme, the ongoing CBA negotiations between the players and the league.

Engelbert put a positive spin on the topic when touching on the back-and-forth with the players. She described recent discussions as "productive".

Cathy Engelbert said Thursday's meeting was "productive."

"I respect the players who are listening to our owners and we're kind of in the middle as the league to set this up for decades."

— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) July 19, 2025

However, the stars gathered in Indianapolis went with a slightly different approach—one that was highlighted via the message on their shirts before the All-Star Game tipped off. The players wore black shirts for warm ups, with a simple statement adorned on them.

"Pay us what you owe us."

Obviously, the CBA deals with many complex issues. But the bottomline is always the bottomline in any negotiation.

WNBA all stars wearing a "Pay us what you owe us" shirt in warmups pic.twitter.com/jIj2W6N6kw

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 20, 2025

This is something the league's biggest star Caitlin Clark broached when weighing in herself.

Clark (whose salary for 2025 is just over $78,000) put it as simply as possible in saying, "We should be paid more, and hopefully that's the case moving forward, as the league continues to grow. That's something that's probably the most important thing that we're in the room advocating about."

Caitlin Clark breaks WNBA CBA negotiations down to the simplest form pic.twitter.com/fbzG9Kfc0d

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) July 19, 2025

Clark's sentiment echoed that of fellow All-Star captain Napheesa Collier, who said salary and revenue sharing were the most significant aspects of the negotiations with the league.

Sometimes things can be boiled down to the simplest form, as was done by Clark —and hammered home by the statement she and her WNBA All-Star peers wore across their shirts.