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The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert better not drive WNBA into a ditch
"We should be paid more and hopefully that's the case moving forward as we continue to grow," Caitlin Clark said ahead of Saturday night's game. "That's probably the most important thing that we're advocating for." The players' unwavering stance stands in stark contrast to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's almost-Pollyannish take in her annual "state of the union" address. To hear Engelbert tell it, everything is hunky dory and this is just the normal back-and-forth that occurs in every labor negotiation. "I want to call it constructive. We had a candid dialogue and this is part of the process," Engelbert said. Maybe that's what Engelbert has to say publicly. But she had better be far more unsparing when she's talking to WNBA owners. Because this contract won't only be transformational for the WNBA and its players, it will define Engelbert's legacy. Engelbert will either be the commissioner who oversaw a historic righting of wrongs for women athletes. Or she'll be the one who drove this rocket-fueled league into a ditch. "I just want to say I really respect the players," Engelbert said before the game. "The goal (is) to have a fair CBA for all. I want a lot of the same things the players want. I said that last time, too, and it's not changed. But we also have to have a process where we go back and forth, and that's where we are in the process. "So again, still really optimistic that we'll get something done, that it'll be transformational, and that next year at All-Star we'll be talking about how great everything is," Engelbert said. "But, obviously, there's a lot of hard work to be done on both sides to get there." The crowd booed Engelbert and chanted "Pay Them! Pay Them!" as she presented the All-Star MVP trophy to Napheesa Collier, whose team beat Team Clark 151-131. Again, Engelbert has to speak carefully. She answers not only to the WNBA owners, but to the NBA. Anyone who's ever heard NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speak for more than 30 seconds understands this. More: 2025 WNBA All-Star Game live updates: Results, highlights for Team Clark vs. Team Collier But the players aren't stupid, and Engelbert would be wise to remember that when she tries to sell a narrative that is as insulting as it is disingenuous. Take what she said about revenue sharing. This, along with higher salaries, is a priority for the players, who see the league and its owners reaping the benefits of the WNBA's popularity and wonder when it's going to be their turn. When Engelbert was asked about this, she said the league has revenue sharing. Sorry, but players only getting 10% when all of the major men's professional leagues have 50/50 splits, is not revenue sharing. It's an allowance. A bad one at that. "We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing with our owners' ability to have a path to profitability, as well as to continued investment," Engelbert said. "You see tens of millions of dollars being invested in practice facilities and other player experiences by teams, and we want to strike the right balance between those two," Engelbert said. "That's helped our hypergrowth, it's helped our free agency, it's helped our players play in places where they're getting a great player experience." And therein is the disconnect. Opinion: Why Napheesa Collier has more sway than anyone in the WNBA right now No one ever asks NBA or NFL players to take a discount because they've got a swanky new locker room or are flying charter. These are considered the cost of doing business in the big leagues, and it should be no different in the WNBA. The players deserve first-class facilities because they're world-class athletes, and they shouldn't have to forego some of their earnings to get them. It's true the NBA helped keep the league afloat for many years -- though just once I'd like the folks who use this to diminish the W to consider the systemic misogyny responsible for this -- and those owners want compensation for that investment. But team valuations are not skyrocketing and sponsors are not flocking to the W because of the owners. They're coming because of the players. Because of Clark and Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese and Napheesa Collier and Sabrina Ionescu and, soon, Azzi Fudd and JuJu Watkins. "Having new brands come in, having new sponsors come in, is exactly what we want. We just also want to reap the benefits of that," said Collier, who was an All-Star captain along with Clark. "We've been a part of that growth. We just want to make sure that we are also getting a cut of all this new money that's coming in." Engelbert gushed about All-Star weekend, and rightfully so. It wasn't so long ago that this was a game and little else. Now it's an event, with parties and sponsor activations and celebrities courtside and a fanfest and merch stores and, and, and -- same as the NBA's All-Star Game. The players inserted themselves into casual conversation, with A'ja Wilson dropping a new show and the "StudBudz" becoming an internet sensation. It was a celebration of what the WNBA has become and a glimpse of everything still to come, and shame on Engelbert if she can't make the NBA and WNBA owners recognize the gold mine they're sitting on. "We're not going to be in hypergrowth forever. No company ever is," Engelbert said. "So it's how to continue to sustain this momentum, gain on it, grow and, ultimately, globalizing the game." And define her legacy as commissioner. The clock is ticking on more than just these CBA negotiations. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu steal attention at All-Star Game warmup in ‘Pay us what you owe us' tees
Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu (Image credit: Getty Images) Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu at All-Star Game warmup Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu (Image credit: Getty Images) Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu at All-Star Game warmup Caitlin Clark and Sabrina Ionescu (Image credit: Getty Images) 1 2 Caitlin Clark is injured, but like her fellow WNBA players, she is in no mood to back down until their demands for pay parity are met. The Indiana Fever star joined many others, including Sabrina Ionescu, ahead of the WNBA All-Star Game warmup on Saturday, all sporting black T-shirts with the message 'Pay us what you owe us' printed on them. WNBA players stepping out in the T-shirts came two days after they met with league officials to push for fair revenue sharing under the collective bargaining agreement. WNBA players step out in 'Pay us what you owe us' t-Shirts amid CBA negotiations The WNBA players have been demanding a fair share of the league's revenue profits. Speaking about the message on her T-shirt, Caitlin Clark said, 'Honestly, I feel like that's where we're really fortunate — that we have those other deals. And I think that's one of the things we're in the room fighting for. Like Phee (Napheesa Collier) said, we should be paid more, and hopefully that's the case moving forward as the league continues to grow. That's probably the most important thing we're in the room advocating for.' Minnesota Lynx power forward Napheesa Collier, who is the WNBPA vice president and went on to become the All-Star MVP on Saturday, is also not ready to step back. She said on Friday, 'This is where the money's at, so both sides are going to fight really hard for it. So we just have to make them know that we're not backing down on this point.' WNBPA vice president Breanna Stewart, however, made it clear that the movement isn't just about bigger paychecks. 'The biggest thing that's the holdup right now is we want more salary, we want bigger salary and that type of thing, but we want to talk about the percentages and the revenue share. Based on their most recent proposal, we just aren't able to get to a place where we're actually even talking about the same thing,' she said. What do the WNBA players want? The WNBA players are seeking better revenue sharing under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Currently, WNBA players are eligible to receive 25 percent of the league's revenue-sharing profits, but only if the performance targets are met. In contrast, NBA players receive 50 percent of the league's revenue. Also Read: Who is WNBA superwoman Napheesa Collier? Everything about the master of the court, motherhood, and glam The WNBA players have been demanding pay parity for quite some time, a message they amplified during the All-Star weekend. The rookie contract in the WNBA starts at $72,000 — a figure Angel Reese famously criticized last year, saying it doesn't even cover her $8,000 monthly rent. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
WNBA Commissioner booed by crowd chanting 'Pay Them!' Cathy Engelbert's legacy is at stake
INDIANAPOLIS — In case their message to the WNBA and its owners wasn't already clear, the players sent another one ahead of the All-Star Game. Taking the court for warmups, every single player wore a black T-shirt with 'Pay Us What You Owe Us' emblazoned across the front. 'We should be paid more and hopefully that's the case moving forward as we continue to grow,' Caitlin Clark said ahead of Saturday night's game. "That's probably the most important thing that we're advocating for.' The players' unwavering stance stands in stark contrast to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert's almost-Pollyannish take in her annual "state of the union" address. To hear Engelbert tell it, everything is hunky dory and this is just the normal back-and-forth that occurs in every labor negotiation. "I want to call it constructive. We had a candid dialogue and this is part of the process,' Engelbert said. Maybe that's what Engelbert has to say publicly. But she had better be far more unsparing when she's talking to WNBA owners. Because this contract won't only be transformational for the WNBA and its players, it will define Engelbert's legacy. Engelbert will either be the commissioner who oversaw a historic righting of wrongs for women athletes. Or she'll be the one who drove this rocket-fueled league into a ditch. The crowd booed Englebert and chanted "Pay Them! Pay Them!" as she presented the All-Star MVP trophy to Napheese Collier, whose team beat Team Clark 151-131. "I just want to say I really respect the players,' Englebert said before the game. "The goal (is) to have a fair CBA for all. I want a lot of the same things the players want. I said that last time, too, and it's not changed. But we also have to have a process where we go back and forth, and that's where we are in the process. "So again, still really optimistic that we'll get something done, that it'll be transformational, and that next year at All-Star we'll be talking about how great everything is," Engelbert said. "But, obviously, there's a lot of hard work to be done on both sides to get there." Again, Engelbert has to speak carefully. She answers not only to the WNBA owners, but to the NBA. Anyone who's ever heard NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speak for more than 30 seconds understands this. But the players aren't stupid, and Engelbert would be wise to remember that when she tries to sell a narrative that is as insulting as it is disingenuous. Take what she said about revenue sharing. This, along with higher salaries, is a priority for the players, who see the league and its owners reaping the benefits of the WNBA's popularity and wonder when it's going to be their turn. When Engelbert was asked about this, she said the league has revenue sharing. Sorry, but players only getting 10% when all of the major men's professional leagues have 50/50 splits, is not revenue sharing. It's an allowance. A bad one at that. "We want to significantly increase their salary and benefits while balancing with our owners' ability to have a path to profitability, as well as to continued investment,' Engelbert said. "You see tens of millions of dollars being invested in practice facilities and other player experiences by teams, and we want to strike the right balance between those two,' Engelbert said. "That's helped our hypergrowth, it's helped our free agency, it's helped our players play in places where they're getting a great player experience.' And therein is the disconnect. No one ever asks NBA or NFL players to take a discount because they've got a swanky new locker room or are flying charter. These are considered the cost of doing business in the big leagues, and it should be no different in the WNBA. The players deserve first-class facilities because they're world-class athletes, and they shouldn't have to forego some of their earnings to get them. It's true the NBA helped keep the league afloat for many years — though just once I'd like the folks who use this to diminish the W to consider the systemic misogyny responsible for this — and those owners want compensation for that investment. But team valuations are not skyrocketing and sponsors are not flocking to the W because of the owners. They're coming because of the players. Because of Clark and Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese and Napheesa Collier and Sabrina Ionescu and, soon, Azzi Fudd and JuJu Watkins. "Having new brands come in, having new sponsors come in, is exactly what we want. We just also want to reap the benefits of that,' said Collier, who was an All-Star captain along with Clark. 'We've been a part of that growth. We just want to make sure that we are also getting a cut of all this new money that's coming in." Engelbert gushed about All-Star weekend, and rightfully so. It wasn't so long ago that this was a game and little else. Now it's an event, with parties and sponsor activations and celebrities courtside and a fanfest and merch stores and, and, and — same as the NBA's All-Star Game. The players inserted themselves into casual conversation, with A'ja Wilson dropping a new show and the "StudBudz' becoming an internet sensation. It was a celebration of what the WNBA has become and a glimpse of everything still to come, and shame on Engelbert if she can't make the NBA and WNBA owners recognize the gold mine they're sitting on. "We're not going to be in hypergrowth forever. No company ever is,' Engelbert said. "So it's how to continue to sustain this momentum, gain on it, grow and, ultimately, globalizing the game." And define her legacy as commissioner. The clock is ticking on more than just these CBA negotiations. Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
NBC News
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC News
Ionescu wins 3-point contest, Cloud claims skills competition in Liberty All-Star sweep
INDIANAPOLIS — Sabrina Ionescu put on another shooting clinic to win the 3-point contest for the second time at All-Star weekend on Friday night. The Liberty's star guard, who also won the title in 2023 with a record performance, had a strong final round, scoring 30 points to beat defending champion Allisha Gray. It completed a New York sweep of the night with Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud winning the skills competition. 'It's fun, I was so excited for her, we were talking about it before we even came out here,' Ionescu said. 'About being able to participate in it together and cheer each other on.' Ionescu's effort was less than her record-breaking mark of 37 two years ago when she made 25 of 27 shots — the most ever in either the WNBA or NBA. The total of 30 matched the second-highest in the event, matching Allie Quigley's mark. Quigley is the only other player to win the contest more than once, doing it four times. Ionescu didn't participate in last year's WNBA All-Star 3-point contest as she was focused on getting ready for the Olympics. But she was in Indianapolis for the NBA one, competing against Steph Curry in a special shootout. She fell just short then, but wouldn't lose again in Indianapolis. 'I called Steph and showed off the trophy,' Ionescu said. Atlanta's Gray, who made her own history last year by winning the 3-point shootout and skills competition, fell short in both this time. She had 22 points in the 3-point contest. Gray went last in the opening round and needed to beat Kelsey Plum's 22 points to reach the final round. Gray hit her final four shots, including the money ball to tie Ionescu and advance. Plum, from the Los Angeles Sparks, was looking to become the first player in WNBA history to win an All-Star MVP (2022), skills challenge (2023) and 3-point contest. Lexie Hull who was a fill-in for Indiana teammate Caitlin Clark, who injured her right groin on Tuesday night, scored 20 points to finish fourth. Clark hyped up the crowd from the sideline before Hull's turn. Washington rookie Sonia Citron scored 19 points in the opening round. Cloud had the fastest time in the first round of the obstacle course that combines passing, dribbling and shooting. She needed to beat Seattle's Erica Wheeler's mark of 37.5 seconds in the finals. Cloud won despite missing all three of her shots from the corner over the windmill defender. She was able to get through the obstacle course in 36.4 seconds — 1.1 faster than Wheeler. After beating Wheeler, Cloud hugged Ionescu. She then picked up her girlfriend and Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison and gave her a hug and kiss. Harrison had told Cloud that she needed to win so they could put a down payment on a house. 'You're gonna get that house,' Cloud said after winning. Cloud received $55,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the WNBAPA. She also receives $2,575 from the league for the victory, which was part of the collective bargaining agreement. Ionescu earned $60,000 for her win from Aflac plus the $2,575 from the league. Ionescu said that she was going to give half of her money to Citron, a promise she made to the rookie before the contest. 'I told Sonya that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench, being the only rookie she was nervous, and I was nervous for her. Obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. So half is going to go to her.' This was Cloud's first All-Star weekend appearance in her 11-year career. She had never been invited to compete in the skills contest or play in the All-Star Game. 'I'm just really thankful for the opportunity,' Cloud said. Wheeler competed a year after missing the competition in Phoenix because of flight issues due to a faulty software update that caused technological havoc worldwide. Wheeler spent a few years in Indiana and received a loud ovation from the fans when she was introduced. Defending champion Gray, who was wearing custom A'ja Wilson shoes with 'money sign' on them, was in trouble after missing all three of the chest passes, which slowed her time and spoiled her bid for a repeat. She finished the course in 39.4 seconds, which was behind Cloud and Wheeler's opening-round times. Courtney Williams (42.0) and Skylar Diggins (44.3) also didn't make the final round.
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ionescu wins 3-point contest, Cloud claims skills competition in Liberty All-Star sweep
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Sabrina Ionescu put on another shooting clinic to win the 3-point contest for the second time at All-Star weekend on Friday night. The Liberty's star guard, who also won the title in 2023 with a record performance, had a strong final round, scoring 30 points to beat defending champion Allisha Gray. It completed a New York sweep of the night with Liberty teammate Natasha Cloud winning the skills competition. 'It's fun, I was so excited for her, we were talking about it before we even came out here,' Ionescu said. 'About being able to participate in it together and cheer each other on.' Ionescu's effort was less than her record-breaking mark of 37 two years ago when she made 25 of 27 shots — the most ever in either the WNBA or NBA. The total of 30 matched the second-highest in the event, matching Allie Quigley's mark. Quigley is the only other player to win the contest more than once, doing it four times. Ionescu didn't participate in last year's WNBA All-Star 3-point contest as she was focused on getting ready for the Olympics. But she was in Indianapolis for the NBA one, competing against Steph Curry in a special shootout. She fell just short then, but wouldn't lose again in Indianapolis. 'I called Steph and showed off the trophy,' Ionescu said. Atlanta's Gray, who made her own history last year by winning the 3-point shootout and skills competition, fell short in both this time. She had 22 points in the 3-point contest. Gray went last in the opening round and needed to beat Kelsey Plum's 22 points to reach the final round. Gray hit her final four shots, including the money ball to tie Ionescu and advance. Plum, from the Los Angeles Sparks, was looking to become the first player in WNBA history to win an All-Star MVP (2022), skills challenge (2023) and 3-point contest. Lexie Hull who was a fill-in for Indiana teammate Caitlin Clark, who injured her right groin on Tuesday night, scored 20 points to finish fourth. Clark hyped up the crowd from the sideline before Hull's turn. Washington rookie Sonia Citron scored 19 points in the opening round. Cloud had the fastest time in the first round of the obstacle course that combines passing, dribbling and shooting. She needed to beat Seattle's Erica Wheeler's mark of 37.5 seconds in the finals. Cloud won despite missing all three of her shots from the corner over the windmill defender. She was able to get through the obstacle course in 36.4 seconds — 1.1 faster than Wheeler. After beating Wheeler, Cloud hugged Ionescu. She then picked up her girlfriend and Liberty teammate Isabelle Harrison and gave her a hug and kiss. Harrison had told Cloud that she needed to win so they could put a down payment on a house. 'You're gonna get that house,' Cloud said after winning. Cloud received $55,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the WNBAPA. She also receives $2,575 from the league for the victory, which was part of the collective bargaining agreement. Ionescu earned $60,000 for her win from Aflac plus the $2,575 from the league. Ionescu said that she was going to give half of her money to Citron, a promise she made to the rookie before the contest. 'I told Sonia that I would give her half if I won when we were sitting on the bench, being the only rookie she was nervous, and I was nervous for her. Obviously have to hold up my end of the bargain. So half is going to go to her.' This was Cloud's first All-Star weekend appearance in her 11-year career. She had never been invited to compete in the skills contest or play in the All-Star Game. 'I'm just really thankful for the opportunity,' Cloud said. Wheeler competed a year after missing the competition in Phoenix because of flight issues due to a faulty software update that caused technological havoc worldwide. Wheeler spent a few years in Indiana and received a loud ovation from the fans when she was introduced. Defending champion Gray, who was wearing custom A'ja Wilson shoes with 'money sign' on them, was in trouble after missing all three of the chest passes, which slowed her time and spoiled her bid for a repeat. She finished the course in 39.4 seconds, which was behind Cloud and Wheeler's opening-round times. Courtney Williams (42.0) and Skylar Diggins (44.3) also didn't make the final round.
