WNBA players take court at All-Star Game in warm-up shirts with message: 'Pay Us What You Owe Us'
Each player, as well as Caitlin Clark looking on from the bench, wore a black shirt reading "Pay Us What You Owe Us." It was a clear message to the WNBA after a week of seemingly fruitless talks in Indiana ahead of the All-Star festivities.
It's never a great sign for a league when ESPN is discussing its players' demands during the middle of its All-Star Game, but the matter was unavoidable for the broadcast thanks to the shirts and other messages from the players.
The WNBA players opted out of the current CBA last October, setting an expiration date on Oct. 31. A work stoppage looms if the two sides can't come to an agreement before the start of next season.
Many All-Stars were present at an in-person talk between league and union officials on Thursday. The result of that meeting was a statement from the players calling the league's current proposal unsustainable:
"We've told the League and teams exactly why their proposal falls so short. This business is booming — media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansion fees, attendance, and ticket sales — are all up in historic fashion. But shortchanging the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing more unsustainable than the current system is pretending it can go on forever."
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert responded by painting the conversation as "very constructive" and saying she is "optimistic" a deal will get done.
There are a number of issues for the two sides to iron out, from the freedom of players to participate in other domestic and international leagues during the offseason (which almost always pays more than the WNBA) to the longstanding dispute over travel accommodations. The biggest point of contention is, of course, the distribution of money in a league set to make a reported $200 million per year for its media rights and charging a $250 million entry fee from each of the three incoming expansion teams.
The players have been open with their demands and unhappiness about the state of the talks during the All-Star break, while the WNBA has mostly refrained from speaking out in recent months. Saturday represented one more time in which the players are forcing the issue into the public sphere.
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