WNBA Stars Use All-Star Weekend to Push for Fairer Pay in CBA Talks
The 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend arrived at a pivotal moment for the league. With labor negotiations underway and pressure mounting around the next collective bargaining agreement, players had more on their minds than highlights and postgame interviews. Attendance was up, merchandise was flying off shelves, and media coverage had rarely been louder. But beneath the surface of celebration, players planned to tell their story in their own way.
A Bold Message in the Middle of Celebration
Image via Unsplash/Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona
The All-Star Game was supposed to celebrate the sport’s brightest names, but their black shirts outshone the weekend’s fireworks. They read “Pay Us What You Owe Us,” and suddenly the mood felt electric. The league has been setting attendance records, announcing new teams, and signing media deals worth billions of dollars, yet players say the numbers on their paychecks don’t reflect the growth.
Napheesa Collier, a forward for Minnesota, didn’t mince words. She said players earn a fraction of the money their work generates, and the message on those shirts was exactly what they intended to communicate.
The idea came out of a morning meeting. Dozens of players, both veterans and new faces, gathered before the big game to talk about what was next for them off the court. A labor meeting earlier in the week had left many frustrated. They wanted to leave Indianapolis knowing they had advanced their agenda.
When the players walked out onto the floor, the crowd erupted. Chants of “Pay them” broke out during the trophy presentation, and signs with similar messages popped up throughout the stands. Brittney Sykes of Washington held a handmade sign that read “Pay The Players” during the postgame celebration and positioned it so every camera could catch it. The players said they didn’t expect that kind of instant support, but it rolled through the arena.
Numbers That Frame the Fight
This is the league’s 29th season. Salaries range from $66,079 at the low end to $249,244 at the high end. The average salary sits around $102,249. The NBA, in contrast, averages more than $13 million per player, with a minimum of $1.27 million.
Players like Caitlin Clark, who is a face of the WNBA at only 23 years old, earn $78,066 on their rookie deals. Reporters tried to steer the narrative to sponsorship earnings, but she didn’t let them stray from the conversation of what happens on the court. Clark made it clear that the league’s pay structure must grow with its success.
The league has signed an 11-year, $2.2 billion media rights deal set to start in 2026. Expansion fees are soaring, with teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia paying $250 million to join. Attendance is up 26 percent, merchandise sales climbed 40 percent, and television viewership is up 23 percent compared to last year. Those are strong signals of a business on the rise, and the players see a disconnect between the surge in revenue and their current contracts.
Inside Negotiations and What Comes Next
Players opted out of their last collective bargaining agreement in October. The meeting in Indianapolis was the first time in months they had sat across the table from league officials, and some left describing it as another wasted opportunity.
Commissioner Cathy Engelbert disagreed and called the talks constructive. She said her goal is to build a system that sets the league up for decades of success and promised a richer revenue-sharing model.
According to union president Nneka Ogwumike, the two sides are far apart. Talks are expected to stretch through the fall, but there’s pressure to reach a deal by October 31. Expansion drafts for Toronto and Portland are on the horizon, and rules for those drafts are written into the CBA. Free agency and the draft calendar for next year also hang in the balance.
Unity on Display
Image via Unsplash/Davide Aracri
One of the most striking parts of the weekend was the turnout. Collier said close to 40 players were present in the room for the union meeting. For a league of 12 teams, that level of representation shows how determined they are. Satou Sabally, sidelined with injury, still flew in to attend negotiations. Players said they are preparing for all outcomes, including a lockout, and some have begun setting aside money.
During the game, the energy between players and fans was unmistakable. Supporters waved signs and posted the shirt on social media, and the players’ union announced that the shirt was available for purchase, with proceeds supporting the union.
A Weekend That Did More Than Entertain
The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be remembered for many reasons: the packed crowd, the rising stars on display, the records shattered. But the image that will live on is a group of athletes in matching black shirts, walking shoulder to shoulder into a national broadcast with a message demanding fairness.