WNBA stars’ message falls flat on social media

WNBA stars who participated within the All-Star match on Saturday night, reported a message about their T-shirts throughout warm-ups aimed toward competitors leaders within the midst of tense collective employment contract (CBA) conversations.

Each Wnba All-Star, together with Indiana Fever Sharpshooter Caitlin Clark who was sidelined for the sport, wore the shirt. The clothes additionally contained the brand of the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation (WNBPA) underneath the message.

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Caitlin Clark of Indiana Fever seems on the WNBA All-Star Basketball recreation, Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photograph/Michael Conroy)

The shirts learn: “Pay us what you owe us.” Nonetheless, the message didn’t appear to resonate on social media.

WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike praised the gamers to make use of their platform.

“I’m simply so impressed by the quantity of gamers who confirmed up, the engagement that was there,” she mentioned. “That’s actually what it is all about. As a result of the extra that occurs, the extra that we are able to get issues completed. I feel we are able to use this dialog at the moment to roll the ball on issues.”

Gamers have argued that issues flourished for the competitors and so they subsequently deserve a rise in salaries. The WNBA was a part of a brand new rectacial settlement of $ 2.2 billion that can begin subsequent season and, with the competitors planning to broaden to 18 groups in 2030, the brand new franchises pay an growth prices of $ 250 million.

Aliyah Boston of Indiana Fever shoots for the WNBA All-Star Basketball match, Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photograph/Michael Conroy)

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The New York Post Final 12 months it reported that the competitors can be anticipated to lose $ 40 million in the course of the 2024 season. The brand new Media Rights Deal is anticipated to yield at the very least a rise of $ 100 million in comparison with what the competitors concluded about its present rule of regulation, of which the report mentioned it was round $ 60 million in 2024.

Even due to the assertion, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert mentioned on Saturday night that she was an optimistic {that a} deal can be completed.

“I’m nonetheless very optimistic that we get one thing that might be transformational,” she mentioned. “And that, subsequent 12 months at All-Star, we’ll speak about how nice all the things is. After all there may be a whole lot of arduous work to do on either side to get there.”

Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks throughout a press convention for the WNBA All-Star Basketball match, Saturday 19 July 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photograph/Michael Conroy)

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The present MKBA has been set to finish on October 31.

The Related Press has contributed to this report.

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