WNBA Stars’ ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ Shirts Spark Debate

WNBA players wore shirts demanding “Pay Us What You Owe Us” during Saturday night’s All-Star Game in Indianapolis, sparking debate over the league’s finances.

Players from both teams walked onto the court for pregame warm-ups wearing the shirts in a show of solidarity during ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations. Fans also chanted “pay them” both during warm-ups and at the end of the game as Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier was presented with an MVP award.

“That was a powerful moment,” Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum said. 

“We didn’t, at least as players, we didn’t know that was going to happen. So, it was a genuine surprise. Those chants tonight, those signs, it just shows that as players, we are united, but the fans are united in believing what we’re seeking,” Plum continued.

The current CBA, set to expire at the end of this season, sees roughly 9.3% of the league’s revenue go to the players, according to MarketWatch. In comparison, NBA players receive between 49% and 51% of income, roughly the same as what NFL and NHL players receive. 

Income for the WNBA comes from sponsorship agreements, ticket sales, and merchandise sales, in combination with media and broadcast deals it often shares with the NBA.

Timberwolves and Lynx beat reporter Andrew Dukowitz broke down the numbers in a post on X, saying their current salary cap sits at “just 1.507 million for this year.”

“In theory if they received even 40% of the leagues revenue that salary cap would be at 6.481 M. That increase would mean roster expansion could occur, players could theoretically still make 3x their current salary and owners would still bring in 60% of the revenue,” Dukowitz said.

The finances are complicated by WNBA’s close relationship with the NBA, which NBA commissioner Adam Silver describes as “integrated.” The two leagues have bundled their broadcast rights together in a $76 billion 11-year deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon.

Many critics of the push for higher pay allege the WNBA does not make enough revenue to justify an increase. Adam Silver said in 2018 that the WNBA’s losses were roughly $10 million a year, and the WNBA was expected to lose $40 million in 2024. Adjusting the 2018 figures for inflation, the WNBA is losing three times as much as it was six years ago.

However, other statistics suggest a much healthier financial picture. Attendance at games is pushing a new record in 2025 after a pandemic-era dip, and the league’s broadcast rights rose from zero in 2002 to around $60 million a year in the current deal. That number is set to explode to $200 million as part of the bundled deal with the NBA.

In October 2024, the previous CBA from 2020 was rejected by the WNBA’s Player Union, which hoped to negotiate better terms for its players, but discussions have been unproductive. A meeting between the union and WNBA representatives on Thursday seemed to do little to mend the gap.

“It was an eye-opener for me. Like, hearing the things and hearing the language of things and not things that I was happy to hear. It was disrespectful the things that we were sent back, the proposal that we were sent back,” Chicago Sky star Angel Reese said Friday.

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu said players wouldn’t settle for “the minimum,” and Phoenix Mercury player Satou Sabally called the league’s latest CBA offer a “slap in the face.”

However, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said to the Associated Press that she believed the meeting to be “constructive.”

“It was very constructive dialogue. I think, you know, obviously, part of the process is to go back and forth and listen to the players. They listen to us and the owners who represent the Board of Governors,” Engelbert said. 

“I still feel really optimistic that we can get something transformational done by the end. But it’s a process,” she continued.