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The biggest storyline throughout the 2025 WNBA All-Star weekend was the ongoing negotiations between the WNBA and the league’s players about the next Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is going to be instituted for the 2026 season (so long as the two sides strike a deal in time).
Players have made it exceedingly clear that they’re not going to budge in terms of receiving increased salaries and a more equal revenue share with the league for this next CBA. And their message was made very loud when every All-Star wore t-shirts before Saturday’s game that read, “Pay us what you owe us.”
WNBA all stars wearing a “Pay us what you owe us” shirt in warmups pic.twitter.com/jIj2W6N6kw
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) July 20, 2025
When awards were being presented on the court after the game ended, fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena began chanting “pay them!” when WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert was speaking, which has caught fire on social media.
The whole stadium screaming “PAY THEM!” While Cathy is speaking, I know that’s right!! pic.twitter.com/ZsLC9zchT2
— Sapphics Source (@sapphic_source) July 20, 2025
Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum spoke with the media after the game ended and shared a strong message about these chants.
“It was a very powerful moment. We didn’t, at least as players, we didn’t know that was gonna happen. So I think it was kind of a genuine surprise,” Plum said, per an X post from Meghan L. Hall of USA Today.
Kelsey Plum says they were unaware that the crowd was going to chant “Pay the Players” tonight.
Also says the plan to wear the “Pay us what you owe us shirts” was hatched this morning by a meeting the players held. pic.twitter.com/KRNHSIq2T3
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) July 20, 2025
Plum went on to talk about how the pregame t-shirts players wore were an idea that came up Saturday morning, and the shirts were clearly made in time for when the All-Stars took to the court before the actual game began.
While this fan moment felt like a turning point in the ongoing negotiations, only time will tell what sort of impact it might have.
