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New York Times
16 minutes ago
- New York Times
WNBA players wisely use All-Star spotlight for CBA leverage: ‘Pay us what you owe us'
INDIANAPOLIS — The WNBA All-Star Weekend represented the league at its peak: a massive mid-season showcase featuring the best players in the world, hosted in a city that has become synonymous with the rapid explosion of women's sports. But the celebrations took place in front of a backdrop of labor uncertainty. The league and the players' union remain far apart in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, with the current CBA set to expire on Oct. 31, 2025. With all eyes on the league, the All-Stars emerged for pregame warmups Saturday to reveal a message on their shirts: 'Pay Us What You Owe Us.' The players had a breakfast meeting the morning of the All-Star game when they collectively decided to make the shirts. The shirt is available for sale on the players' union's Instagram account, with all proceeds going to the WNBPA and the players. A post shared by WNBPA (@thewnbpa) After years of fighting an existential battle for the survival of the league, WNBA players enter this bargaining cycle with a rare power: leverage. The league is generating record revenue, it's expanding, and it's become part of the national consciousness. Now is the time for the players to cash in on what they have brought to the table. They want a business model that allows them to share in the growth of the WNBA and direct more of the revenue towards salaries and player experience. Advertisement 'We see the growth in the league and as it stands, the current salary system is not really paying us what we're owed,' said union president Nneka Ogwumike, a Seattle Storm forward. 'We want to be able to have that fair share moving forward, especially as we see all of the investment going in, and we want to be able to have our salaries be reflected in a structure that makes sense for us.' The league is in a period of hyper growth, as commissioner Cathy Engelbert illuminated in her annual mid-season address. Viewership is up 23 percent year over year, attendance 26 percent, and merchandise sales 40 percent. Money is pouring into the league — via media rights, expansion fees and other avenues — but players need to secure a piece of the growing business before the WNBA enters a sustainability mode. Their prominent message on one of the league's biggest nights, and their commitment to a united front, shows that the union understands its strength and is taking control of the narrative. Doing so on All-Star weekend isn't just about getting all of the players in one room together, though the breakfast meeting composed mostly of union leadership couldn't have happened if the players weren't all in one place. The timing is also important to engage fans when they are paying attention and when players are speaking to a nationally-televised audience on ABC. This effort allowed players to tap into the community that supports them and wants to help. At a panel earlier Saturday, fans asked Dawn Staley, Sydney Colson and Kate Martin how they could make a difference in the negotiations. Fans brought 'Pay the Players' signs to the game, and Mystics guard Brittney Sykes displayed one visible on the broadcast behind Engelbert during postgame interviews. The crowd also drowned out Englebert's speech with chants of 'pay them.' 'Pay them!' WNBA All-Star fans drowned out commissioner Cathy Engelbert during her presentation of the game's MVP award. With several CBA conversations in Indy this weekend, players warmed up in shirts that read 'Pay Us What You Owe Us.' — The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 20, 2025 'It's huge to have the fans backing us,' union vice president Napheesa Collier said. 'A lot of things are the court of public opinion, and it does matter what people think, they of course, at the league recognize that as well, so adding that pressure is really great for us.' Players are not new to public activism. As WNBPA first vice president Kelsey Plum said, this is a resilient group that was politically outspoken during the Georgia Senate race in 2020. They understand the unity it takes to achieve a desired outcome. Advertisement Fashion as a visual forum for protest is a familiar tactic. The Minnesota Lynx wore T-shirts that said 'Change starts with us' and 'Black Lives Matter' on the back after the police killing of Philando Castile in 2016. The entire league wore Breonna Taylor's name on their jerseys in the 2020 WNBA bubble after she was killed by a police officer. And in 2022, the WNBA All-Stars changed at halftime into Brittney Griner jerseys to bring attention to her detention in Russia. At a moment that is critical to determine their future, players don't want to leave any stones unturned. They need participation from throughout the union, which is why a record number of players showed up to the bargaining meeting. For instance, Satou Sabally was unable to play in the All-Star Game but flew to Indiana on Thursday to attend the negotiations. Players have to publicly apply pressure on the league, using their collective, consistent messaging and their fan bases to rally behind them. They are preparing for a lockout, putting money away in case negotiations stall. They are appealing to Engelbert's legacy: Does she want to be the commissioner who presided over the most significant growth in women's sports history, or the one who oversaw a work stoppage? The wording of 'owe us' on the T-shirts was clarifying. The players have talked about getting what is fair, but this was a crucial change in the strategy to signify that a piece of the business already belongs to them. 'We're going to continue to push for everything that we've earned,' Liberty guard Natasha Cloud said. 'The word earned is something that needs to be highlighted. I think a lot of times you get told to just continue to take crumbs and be thankful for what we have,and that's just not the case anymore.' By hijacking a tentpole event for the league, players are expressing that they will not settle. They can't afford to do anything less. (Photo of Brittney Sykes: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jalen Williams Says He Tried Alcohol For The First Time After OKC Thunder Won 2025 Title
Jalen Williams Says He Tried Alcohol For The First Time After OKC Thunder Won 2025 Title originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Oklahoma City Thunder's 2025 NBA Championship celebration came with an unexpected twist: Jalen Williams, one of the team's breakout stars, revealed he had his first alcoholic drink moments after the Game 7 victory. And according to Williams, the entire moment was 'a blur.' 'Actually just had my first drink, so I'm like working on that,' Williams admitted in a postgame interview, visibly amused but still clearly processing the magnitude of the night. The Thunder had just secured a historic 103–91 win over the Indiana Pacers to capture the franchise's first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City. But if you were expecting wild champagne showers and popping bottles in the locker room like a typical NBA champion, think again. 'That was the most tempered locker room I've seen after any championship,' wrote Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. There wasn't the over-the-top chaos you might associate with a team full of veterans. Instead, there was laughter, awkward beer sipping, and a team of twenty-somethings trying to figure out how to act like champions while still being barely old enough to rent a car. Williams' teammate Jaylin Williams, no relation, also sampled beer for the first time—and immediately made a face that went viral online. 'Where's the tequila?' he asked moments later, realizing beer might not be his beverage of choice. What makes this story even funnier is how young the Thunder truly are. With an average age of 25.6, they're the second-youngest team in NBA history to win a title—only the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers were younger. The core of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Cason Wallace has proven they're not just rising stars, they're champions. Jalen Williams, in particular, had a standout postseason. He played 22 games in the Thunder's run to the title, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.5% from the field. During the regular season, he averaged nearly identical numbers and was selected to his first NBA All-Star team. At just 23 years old, Williams became the fifth player in NBA Finals history to post 25+ points in three straight Finals games before turning 25. He wasn't just along for the ride; he was one of the engines. In Game 7, he combined with Holmgren for 38 crucial points, while Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 29 points and 12 assists. Their dominance, especially in the second half, helped OKC pull away as Indiana faltered, especially with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined. But despite the dominance, what fans will remember just as much as the box score is the Thunder's joy and honesty. A first championship celebration that didn't look like a Hollywood script, but more like a college graduation party. Some first drinks, bad beer faces, and laughter with lifelong teammates. The Thunder are champions. The kids are alright. And Jaylin Williams finally knows what a cold beer tastes story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 23, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Thunder Secure Their Future: Jalen Williams Inks 5-Year, $287M Deal
Thunder Secure Their Future: Jalen Williams Inks 5-Year, $287M Deal originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Fresh off their recent NBA title win, the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken a massive step to secure their future and ensure their success for years to come. Following in the footsteps of his teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, Jalen is now the latest Thunder star to make a long-term commitment with a brand-new five-year, $250M rookie max extension. "After becoming the second-youngest team in NBA history to win a title, the Thunder now have long-term commitments from their Big 3 of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26), Williams (24) and Chet Holmgren (23) to play together through the rest of the decade as they enter their primes," wrote Shams Charania on X. Williams, 24, is only three years into his NBA career, but he's now set to be one of the league's highest-paid players with a yearly salary of roughly $57.4 million. It's on par with superstars like Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Thunder have come a long way since splitting up Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Slowly but surely, they stockpiled their assets and built a team that has made their mark on history. Starting with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who recently signed a massive new contract), his averages of 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game this season were enough for him to win MVP months before capturing the Finals MVP. There's also Chet Holmgren, who just agreed to a five-year extension with the Thunder earlier this week, worth potentially $250 million. He didn't play particularly well in the Finals, but he still showed great promise throughout the regular season with averages of 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game on 49.0% shooting. Jalen Williams is the third member of the Thunder's essential core, and locking him up for the next five years should be enough to keep them in the title race for a long time coming. At 6'6" and 220 pounds, he's a crafty two-way swingman who can play multiple positions. In 69 games last season, he averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game on 48.4% shooting. As the reigning NBA champions, the Thunder are confident that this young core can carry them to a historic level of prosperity in the West. With one title in the books already, and their best players under 30 years old, it's only a matter of time before Oklahoma City adds another Larry O'Brien trophy to their collection. With Shai, Holmgren, and now Williams under contract for the foreseeable future, the Thunder have built more than just a championship team; they've built a culture, a foundation, and a future. In an era of constant player movement and short-term windows, Oklahoma City is betting on continuity, chemistry, and youth. If these extensions pay off, we may be watching the rise of the NBA's next great dynasty, one that's only just getting story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
